How to Say ‘Until 3 o'clock’ in Japanese
三時まで
san ji made
[sahn jee mah-deh]
💬 Usage Tip: [三時まで] = you can continue up to 3. If you mean “finish by 3,” you likely want [三時までに].
🇯🇵 In Japan: Japanese is precise about “until” vs “by,” so using [まで] vs [までに] correctly can prevent schedule misunderstandings.
Phrase Breakdown
三
san
[sahn]
three
Number 3 used with 時 to make 三時 (3 o’clock).
三時までに帰ります。
I’ll be back by three o’clock.
時
ji
[jee]
o'clock; hour
Used with numbers to express time. 三時 = 3:00.
三時まで働きます。
I’ll work until three o’clock.
まで
made
[mah-deh]
until; up to
Indicates an end point in time/space/quantity: 'until ~' (not including what happens after). Contrast with までに ('by').
三時まで待てます。
I can wait until three o’clock.
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