How to Say ‘Until; by (a time)’ in Japanese
まで
ma de
[mah deh]
💬 Usage Tip: [まで] marks an endpoint: [三時まで] = “until 3.” It’s about the end point, not necessarily a strict deadline.
🇯🇵 In Japan: When arranging plans, people may ask [何時まで？] (“Until what time?”) to confirm how long you can stay.
Phrase Breakdown
ま
ma
[mah]
(part of) made
This is the first mora of まで. By itself, ま is a hiragana character used in many words; here it combines with で to form まで ('until').
三時まで待ってください。
Please wait until three o’clock.
で
de
[deh]
to; at; in; by (particle)
Hiragana で used in many grammar patterns. Here it’s part of まで, which means 'until / up to.'
三時までです。
It’s until three o’clock.
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