You already know まで = endpoint (9時まで = until 9 o'clock). But まで can be followed by additional particles -- までで, までに, までは, までが -- and each combination means something different.
までで -- It Ends at That Point
The で in までで marks a turning point: the state changes from "ongoing" to "finished."
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一時から三時までで試合が終わります。 → The match runs from 1:00 and ends at 3:00.
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今月までで契約が切れる。 → The contract expires at the end of this month.
までで must be followed by verbs meaning end/stop/expire (終わる, 切れる, 閉まる, etc.).
The Nature of で: A Temporal Turning Point
Time + で = at this point, the state changes:
| Example | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 三時で閉まる | Closes at 3:00 |
| 今日で終わり | It ends today |
| 三時までで試合が終わる | The match ends at 3:00 |
If the verb isn't about "ending," you don't need までで -- plain まで is enough.
までに -- Before the Deadline
までに = complete by (a certain time). に marks the deadline.
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三時までに掃除してください。 → Please finish cleaning by 3:00. (Start whenever you want, just be done by 3:00)
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来週までにレポートを出してください。 → Please submit the report by next week.
まで vs までに: The Key Difference
| まで | までに | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Continue until... | Complete by... |
| Action type | Continuous | One-time completion |
| Example | 三時まで掃除する = clean until 3:00 | 三時までに掃除する = finish cleaning by 3:00 |
The cleaning scenario makes this crystal clear:
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一時から三時まで掃除してください。 → Please clean from 1:00 to 3:00. (Continuous cleaning for two hours)
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一時から三時までに掃除してください。 → Starting from 1:00, please finish cleaning by 3:00. (Clean whenever, 3:00 is the deadline)
まで = the endpoint of an ongoing action. までに = the deadline for completion.
までは・までが -- Adding Topic or Subject Markers
When まで is followed by は or が, it gives the "until X" phrase a grammatical role in the sentence.
までは = "Until X" as a Topic
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一時から三時まではお昼休みです。 → From 1:00 to 3:00 is lunch break. (Topic: this time period)
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ここまでは理解できた。 → I understood everything up to this point. (Topic: everything so far)
までが = "Until X" as a Focus
- 一時から三時までが私の休憩時間です。 → From 1:00 to 3:00 is my break time. (Focus: this specific range)
は vs が Difference
Same as the general は/が distinction:
| までは | までが | |
|---|---|---|
| Function | Topic marker | Subject/focus marker |
| Nuance | Speaking of this time period... | This time period is (the one)! |
| Example | 三時までは休みです | 三時までが休みです |
をとする -- Designating a Time Period as Something
The lesson also reviewed a related expression: designating a time period as something.
- 一時から三時をお昼休みとします。 → We'll designate 1:00 to 3:00 as lunch break.
Here とする = treat as / designate as -- a different angle from までで and までに.
Quick Reference Table
| Form | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| まで | Continue until... | 三時まで働く |
| までで | It ends at... | 三時までで試合が終わる |
| までに | Complete by... | 三時までに終わらせる |
| までは | Until... (topic) | 三時まではお昼休みです |
| までが | Until... (focus) | 三時までが私の休憩時間です |
Practice
Q1. What's the difference between 「三時までで試合が終わる」 and 「三時までに試合が終わる」?
Show Answer
- までで = At the 3:00 mark, the match ends. Emphasizes 3:00 as a turning point.
- までに = The match will end before 3:00. Emphasizes 3:00 as a deadline.
The practical meanings are similar, but the nuance differs: までで focuses on "state change," までに focuses on "deadline."
Q2. Translate: "Please clean from 1:00 to 3:00" and "Please finish cleaning between 1:00 and 3:00."
Show Answer
- Clean from 1:00 to 3:00 = 一時から三時まで掃除してください。 (Continuous action)
- Finish cleaning between 1:00 and 3:00 = 一時から三時までに掃除してください。 (Deadline)
Q3. In 「今月までで契約が切れる」, what role does で play?
Show Answer
で marks a temporal turning point -- at this point in time, the state changes from "contract is active" to "contract has expired." までで must be followed by ending/stopping verbs.
Summary
- までで = it ends at that point (で = turning point); followed by ending verbs
- までに = complete by that point (に = deadline)
- まで = continue until that point
- までは / までが = add topic or focus markers to the time range
- Core distinction: まで for "duration," までに for "deadline," までで for "termination"