GRAMMAR DETAIL
まで
Follows a time or place to mark the final point reached by an action or range.
Examples
五時まで図書館にいます。
I will be at the library until five.
Words used
会議は午後三時まで続きます。
The meeting continues until three in the afternoon.
Words used
Study notes
1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning
- Structure: Add
までafter a time or place to mark an endpoint. - Basic usage:
五時まで図書館にいます。sets five o'clock as the end of the stay at the library.
2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions
- Continuation and deadline
五時まで待つdescribes waiting continuing until five, while五時までに出すmeans completing submission by five. Consider both the presence ofにand the nature of the action.
- An endpoint in space
駅まで歩くsets the station as the endpoint of the walk.駅の方へ歩くfocuses on the station's direction and does not specify the same endpoint.