particle N4 essential casualpolitewritten
までに — by (a deadline)
までに
Builds on まで
Meaning
- by ~ / by the time ~ — the latest point at which a one-time action must be done
Key sentence
5時までにレポートを出してください。
Please submit the report by 5 o'clock.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun (time / point) | Noun + までに | 金曜日 → 金曜日までに |
| Verb (dictionary form) | V(dict) + までに | 出発する → 出発するまでに |
Examples
来週までに決めなければならない。
I have to decide by next week.
暗くなるまでに家に帰ろう。
Let's get home before it gets dark.
締め切りまでに間に合いますか。
Will you make it by the deadline?
When you can't use it
- までに marks a deadline for a single, completed action. For an action that continues throughout a span, use plain まで: 5時まで働く (work until 5) vs 5時までに来る (come by 5).
Easily confused with
See までに in real sentences
Jengo shows までに the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar.