How 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 | up to (a limit); through (a range); even (an extreme case) | N5 |
| までに madeni | no later than a set time or deadline | N4 |
まで made
up to (a limit); through (a range); even (an extreme case)
The particle まで marks an endpoint in time, quantity, or extent, as in working from Monday through Friday or a hall holding up to 2,000 people. It also adds an extreme example, meaning 'even,' as in even liking snakes. It attaches directly to nouns and quantity expressions.
-
図書館は夜七時まで開いています。
The library is open until 7 p.m.
-
このバスは駅まで走っています。
This bus runs as far as the station.
までに madeni
no later than a set time or deadline
までに sets a deadline by which an action must be completed or a state reached, meaning 'by (a certain time)'. It follows a time expression or noun, often with の before it (明日までに, 来週の火曜日までに). Adding は, as in までには, emphasizes the deadline.
-
明日までに書かなければならないレポートがいくつかある。
I have a few essays to write by tomorrow.
-
明日までにその仕事を終えることはどうしてもできません。
I cannot possibly finish the work by tomorrow.
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 on meanings, usage and example sentences, so you can tell them apart.