まで (made) - until/to

Think of まで as a line drawn in the sand. You start somewhere (the から point) and you keep going until you hit that line. Once you reach まで, the action stops. It focuses entirely on the finish line. Unlike some other particles that mark a specific point in time, まで implies a duration or a path leading up to that point. It covers the entire stretch of time or space from wherever you started right up to the limit. It’s like watching a movie from the opening credits まで the very end. You are describing the whole process of "untilness." It’s a continuous flow that hits a wall. In your head, visualize a progress bar loading. When it hits 100%, that 100% mark is your まで.

1. 1For nouns: Just attach まで directly to the end. No particles needed in between.
2. 2東京 (Tokyo) + まで = 東京まで (To/As far as Tokyo)
3. 33時 (3 o'clock) + まで = 3時まで (Until 3 o'clock)
4. 4For verbs: Use the dictionary form (plain form) of the verb.
5. 5会う (to meet) + まで = 会うまで (Until we meet)
6. 6終わる (to finish) + まで = 終わるまで (Until it finishes)
7. 7Avoid using the polite -masu form or past tense right before まで. It stays in the simple dictionary form even if the rest of the sentence is formal or in the past. This keeps the flow smooth and predictable.

You’ll find まで useful in almost every daily scenario. Use it for time limits when you’re at work or studying. 5時まで働きます tells everyone you’re busy until the clock strikes five. It’s essential for physical destinations. If you’re taking a taxi, you’ll say この住所までお願いします (To this address, please). You can also use it for the limit of an action. Maybe you’ll wait until the rain stops (雨が止むまで待ちます). One of the coolest uses is for extremes. This is where まで means "even." If a problem is so easy that "even a child" can solve it, you say 子供まで分かります. This adds a layer of emphasis and flavor to your speech. It’s like saying, "The situation went so far that even THIS happened."

Don't use まで for your starting point. That’s the job for から. If you want to say "from 9 to 5," use 9時から5時まで. Another big "no-no" is using it for a deadline. If you have a homework assignment due by Friday, まで is the wrong choice. Using まで there would imply you are continuously doing the homework until Friday without stopping. For deadlines, you need its cousin, までに. Also, don't use it when you just mean a general direction like "toward." That’s what へ or に are for. まで implies you actually reach the destination and stop there. It’s the difference between walking toward a park and walking all the way to the park entrance.

The #1 mistake for everyone (yes, even the pros sometimes!) is mixing up まで and までに. Think of まで as a movie duration and までに as an alarm clock. If you say 明日まで出します, a native speaker might think you’ll be handing in papers all day until tomorrow. You probably meant "I will submit it by tomorrow," which requires までに. Another trap is the verb tense. Many people try to say 会ったまで for "until we met." Stick to the dictionary form: 会うまで. Even if the meeting happened yesterday, the まで part stays in the dictionary form. The final verb at the end of the sentence handles the tense. It’s like a grammar traffic light; the light right before the turn stays one color, while the car itself decides how fast to go.

• まで vs までに: まで is for continuous states (waiting, working, sleeping). までに is for a single action that must happen before a point (submitting, arriving, finishing).
• まで vs に: に marks a specific point or destination. まで emphasizes the distance or time covered to get there. 新宿に行きます is "I'm going to Shinjuku." 新宿まで行きます is "I'm going as far as Shinjuku (and no further)."
• まで vs へ: へ is about the direction or the journey toward a place. まで is about the arrival at the limit. Use まで when the boundary is the most important part of your story.