Japanese Particle Made (まで): How to Use Particle まで and Its Combinations

You know what trips up most Japanese learners? Particles. These little guys determine the entire meaning of a sentence, and まで (made) is one that shows up constantly in everyday conversation. Let me walk you through everything you need to know about using まで correctly. We'll cover the basic meanings, how it pairs with other particles like から (kara), the tricky difference between まで and までに, and some advanced uses that'll make you sound more natural.

What does まで mean

Here's the thing: まで always marks the endpoint of something. That endpoint could be a time, a place, or even an extent.

Time endpoint:

Location endpoint:

Extent endpoint:

The verb typically comes at the end because Japanese follows an SOV (Subject-object-verb) word order, unlike English which uses SVO (Subject-verb-object). So the particle まで attaches directly to the noun indicating the endpoint, and the verb wraps up the sentence.

Using まで for time expressions in Japanese

When you use まで with time, you're setting a deadline or endpoint for an action or state. The action continues up to that point in time.

Common time expressions with まで:

Example sentences:

Notice how the action or state continues throughout the duration and stops at the point marked by まで. The library stays open, you keep waiting, the vacation lasts, all the way up to that endpoint.

Using まで for physical locations

The particle まで works similarly for physical locations. You're indicating the destination or the furthest point you'll reach.

Location examples:

まで for extent and emphasis: The “even” meaning

Beyond time and location, まで can express extent in a way that often translates to "even" in English. This usage emphasizes that something extends to an unexpected or extreme degree.

Extent examples:

This expression creates emphasis by pointing to an extreme case. If even children know something, then clearly everyone knows it. If even the teacher doesn't understand, then it must be really difficult.

Another example:

The phrase highlights that skipping breakfast is notable or extreme. The particle まで pushes the extent to emphasize the unexpectedness.

まで in negative sentences

The particle まで works perfectly fine in negative sentences, and the meaning follows the same endpoint logic.

Examples:

The classic combination: から (Kara) and まで (Made)

Here's where まで really shines. The particle から means "from," and when you pair it with まで, you create a complete range. This works for both time and location.

Time ranges:

Location ranges:

Example sentence:

You can use から without まで, and you can use まで without から. They work independently, but when used together, they create these clear ranges that show both the starting point and endpoint.

Japanese particle ni and made comparison

The particle に (ni) also indicates direction or destination, which confuses a lot of learners. The difference? The particle に focuses on the destination as a target point, while まで emphasizes the extent or distance covered to reach that endpoint. In many cases, you can use either one, but まで carries that sense of "all the way to" or "as far as."

Compare these:

The tricky difference: まで vs までに

The expression までに (made ni) looks almost identical to まで, but the meaning changes significantly when you add that に particle.

まで (made) indicates a continuous action or state that continues until the endpoint:

までに (made ni) indicates a deadline by which an action must be completed:

The difference matters a lot. If your boss says (repōto wo kin'yōbi made kaite kudasai), you could theoretically keep writing until the end of Friday. But if they say (repōto wo kin'yōbi made ni kaite kudasai), they want that report done before Friday ends.

More examples:

Practical tips for using まで correctly

After working with Japanese learners for years, I've noticed a few common mistakes that keep popping up. Here's what to watch for:

FAQs

Keep the endpoint concept in mind to learn particle まで

The particle まで appears constantly in Japanese, from casual conversation to formal writing. Once you internalize that endpoint concept, whether for time, location, or extent, using まで becomes pretty straightforward. Start paying attention to まで when you encounter Japanese content. You'll notice it everywhere.

This grammar point is just a piece of cake to you!