までに means “by” or “no later than.” It sets a deadline: the action has to happen at some point before that time. 三時までに来てください — “Please come by three.”
It is a JLPT N4 pattern, and it exists mainly to contrast with N5 まで (“until”). One extra に turns “keep doing it until three” into “get it done by three,” and that difference is one of the most tested particle points at N4.
まで stretches an action up to a point. までに drops a single action somewhere before that point.
What does までに mean?
Think of までに as a deadline marker. Whatever comes before it is the limit; the rest of the sentence is a one-time action that has to be finished by then.
- 金曜日までにレポートを出します。 — I’ll hand in the report by Friday.
- 金曜日まで休みます。 — I’m off until Friday.
In the first sentence, handing in happens once, any time up to Friday. In the second, being off continues every day up to Friday. If you can ask “when exactly does it happen?” and the answer is “sometime before X,” you need までに.
The limit can be a clock time, a date, an age, or a whole event expressed by a verb: 先生が来るまでに — “before the teacher arrives.”
How to form までに
までに attaches to time nouns directly and to verbs in the dictionary form.
| Limit | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Clock time | 九時までに | by nine o’clock |
| Day / date | 明日までに・十日までに | by tomorrow / by the 10th |
| Age | 三十歳までに | by the age of thirty |
| Verb | 暗くなるまでに | before it gets dark |
| Event with が | 母が帰るまでに | before Mum gets home |
The verb before までに stays in the dictionary form even when the story is in the past: 母が帰るまでに片付けた — “I tidied up before Mum got home.” The past tense goes on the main verb only.
You will also see までには, which adds “at the latest”: 六時までには戻ります — “I’ll be back by six at the latest.”
When is までに used?
- Deadlines at school and work. Homework, applications, payments: 申し込みは十五日までにお願いします.
- Requests with a time limit. It pairs naturally with 〜てください: 八時までに来てください.
- Life goals. 三十歳までに結婚したい — the age is a personal deadline.
- Getting something done before an event. 友達が来るまでに部屋を掃除する.
Register is neutral. You will find it in text messages, school notices, and business emails alike. In formal notices it often appears without a verb: 締め切り：五月十日（金）まで — but in full sentences, までに is the deadline form.
までに example sentences
三時までに来てください。
Please come by three o’clock.
金曜日までに宿題を出さなければなりません。
I have to hand in my homework by Friday.
暗くなるまでに家に帰りたい。
I want to get home before it gets dark.
先生が来るまでに準備しましょう。
Let’s get everything ready before the teacher arrives.
来月までに引っ越さなければならない。
I have to move by next month.
三十歳までに日本に住んでみたいです。
I’d like to try living in Japan before I turn thirty.
母が帰るまでに部屋を片付けた。
I tidied my room before my mum got home.
Every main verb here — come, hand in, get home, prepare, move, tidy — is a single completed action. That is the shape までに needs.
Nuance of までに
The core restriction is on the main verb. It must be something that happens once and finishes: 出す, 来る, 終わる, 決める, 帰る. Verbs that describe an ongoing state or activity — 待つ, 働く, 寝る, いる — don’t fit, because you can’t do them “at some point before three.”
The sentence also carries a sense of obligation or aim. 九時までに着く implies someone needs you there by nine. That is why までに so often combines with なければならない, てください, or たい.
までに vs 前に: 寝る前に薬を飲む simply says “before sleeping.” 寝るまでに薬を飲む adds a deadline feel — “make sure it’s done by the time you sleep.” For routine sequences, 前に is the natural choice.
までに vs まで
The easiest check is English: if “by” fits, use までに; if “until” fits, use まで. Be careful with negatives, though. 五時まで来ない means “won’t come until five” (nothing before five), which is a まで sentence even though English sometimes phrases it differently.
Common mistakes with までに
Working is continuous, so you work until six. までに needs a one-time action.
Handing something in is a single action with a deadline, so it takes までに. Without に the sentence sounds like “keep handing it in until tomorrow.”
The verb before までに is always the dictionary form. The past tense belongs on 作りました.
Is までに on the JLPT?
Yes. までに is core N4 grammar. The まで／までに choice is one of the most common particle questions at this level, and deadlines are everywhere in listening tasks about schedules and appointments.
At N4 you should be able to:
- Choose までに for deadlines and まで for continuous actions
- Attach までに to time nouns and dictionary-form verbs
- Pick out the deadline in a listening task (“by when must the man submit it?”)
In listening, speakers often correct themselves: 十日までに…あ、九日までにお願いします. The question asks for the final deadline, so listen to the end.
Practice questions for までに
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月曜日までに返事をしてください。 — Please reply by Monday.
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雨がやむまでここで待ちましょう。 — Let’s wait here until the rain stops. (Waiting is continuous.)
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来年の夏までに運転ができるようになりたいです。 — I want to be able to drive by next summer.
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お客さんが来るまでに台所を掃除しました。 — I cleaned the kitchen before the guests arrived.
Learning path for までに
Related grammar to review next
- まで — “until”; the continuous partner that までに is always contrasted with.
- 前に — “before” without a deadline, for plain sequences.
- 間に — a one-time action within a period, the same logic as までに.
- 間 — a continuous action throughout a period, the same logic as まで.
- なければならない — the obligation that most deadlines come with.
Learn までに with Hane
Hane drills まで and までに in pairs, with verbs that are either continuous or one-time, so you pick the right one before you’ve had time to translate. Practise N4 time expressions in Hane.
FAQ about までに
What does までに (made ni) mean in Japanese?
までに (made ni) means “by; no later than”. It is JLPT N4 grammar. Think of までに as a deadline marker. Whatever comes before it is the limit; the rest of the sentence is a one-time action that has to be finished by then.
How do you form までに (made ni)?
までに attaches to time nouns directly and to verbs in the dictionary form.
What is the difference between までに and まで?
までに: by (deadline). まで: until (duration).
What is an example sentence with までに (made ni)?
三時までに来てください。 — Please come by three o’clock.