Practice JLPTHow to tell them apart
まで marks a limit you continue up to and hold at, whether in space, amount, or time. までに marks a deadline by which something must be completed. The core test is whether the action is ongoing through the endpoint or finished before it. 9時まで勉強する means you study until 9, while 9時までに勉強する means you finish studying before 9.
- まで Use まで when the state or action continues right up to a limit in time, space, or quantity.
- までに Use までに when naming a deadline by which an action must be completed.
| Grammar point | Meaning | JLPT level |
|---|---|---|
| まで made | Until | N5 |
| までに madeni | By (deadline) | N4 |
まで made
Until
As far as; till; up to; until; through; even | A particle to indicate a spatial, temporal or quantitative limit or an unexpected animate/inanimate object.
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あの人は鼠やスカンクは勿論蛇まで好きだ・好きです。
He even likes snakes, not to mention rats and skunks.
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このホールは二千人まで入れる・入れます。
This hall can hold up to 2,000 people.
までに madeni
By (deadline)
By; by the time (when) | A particle that indicates a time limit on/for an action.
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A:何時までに空港に行けばいいでしょうか。 B:出発の一時間前までに来て下さい。
A: By what time should I go to the airport? B: Please come one hour before departure.
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ジェット機がパリに着くまでに本を三冊読んでしまいました。
By the time the jet got to Paris, I had finished reading three books.
まで and までに are JLPT N5–N4 grammar points that Japanese learners often mix up. This page compares them side by side — meanings, usage and example sentences — so you can tell them apart.