“made ni / made” Meaning & Usage — Deadline vs Duration [JLPT N4]
Content by NTJ Kuma · Nihongo to Japan editorial team · Updated July 27, 2026
“Made ni” = by a deadline (submit by tomorrow); “made” = up until (wait until 5) — with examples and practice. (JLPT N4)
「5時までに」 vs 「5時まで」 — one is a deadline, the other is duration
「5時までに来て」 (come by 5 = deadline) vs 「5時まで待って」 (wait until 5 = duration) — one 「に」 apart, completely different: 〜までに = deadline “by ~ (do something)”, followed by a one-time／instant action (submit, come); 〜まで = “right up until ~”, followed by a continuous action (wait, stay). This guide sorts this often-confused time pair by “does a one-time action follow, or a continuing one?”
Core: までに (deadline, done once) vs まで (continuing until)
- 〜までに = by ~ (complete it), followed by an instant／one-time action: 宿題は明日までに出す (submit the homework by tomorrow = done once within the deadline).
- 〜まで = right up until ~, followed by a continuous action: 5時まで勉強する (study until 5 = keeps going).
Test: “finish one thing (before a time)” → までに; “keep doing until a time” → まで.
How to Connect
| Form | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| noun／dictionary ＋ までに | deadline (finish by ~) | 明日までに出す |
| noun／dictionary ＋ まで | up until ~ (continuous) | 5時まで待つ |
Examples in context
- 宿題は、明日までに提出してください。(Please submit the homework by tomorrow.) — deadline (done once)
- 彼女は試験が終わるまで、ずっと勉強した。(She studied right up until the exam ended.) — continuous
- 夜が明けるまでに、ここを出よう。(Let's leave here before dawn.) — deadline
- 卒業するまでに、日本語をマスターしたい。(I want to master Japanese by graduation.) — deadline
- 授業が始まるまで、教室で待っていた。(I waited in the classroom until class started.) — continuous
⚠️ Common mistakes to avoid
① までに with one-time actions, まで with continuous ones. 「5時までに行く」 (arrive by 5 = one action); 「5時までいる」 (stay until 5 = continuous). Reversing is unnatural (✗ 5時までに待つ, ✗ 5時まで出す).
② Test: is the following action “done once” or “ongoing”? Instant-completion verbs (出す・来る・終わる) → までに; continuous verbs (待つ・いる・勉強する) → まで.
③ 「までに」 marks a deadline, not a process. It only cares about “finish before that point”; whether you act in between doesn't matter. 「まで」 stresses “doing it throughout that span.”
🔄 Compare: までに／まで／までは
| Form | Nuance | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 〜までに | deadline (finish by ~) | 明日までに出す |
| 〜まで | up until ~ (continuous) | 5時まで待つ |
| 〜までは | at least until ~ (stressing a limit) | 3時まではむり |
💡 The one thing to remember
「までに vs まで」 separate with one image: までに = “deadline” (a point; finish something before it); まで = “duration” (a line; keep doing until that point). The following action is the key: “just finish it” (出す, 来る) → までに; “keep doing it” (待つ, いる) → まで. 「明日までに出す (submit by tomorrow)」 vs 「5時まで待つ (wait until 5)」 — one-time completion → までに, continuous → まで; grasp this and you won't mismatch.
❓ FAQ
Q: 「5時までに」 vs 「5時まで」?
「5時までに」 = a deadline “by 5 (do something),” followed by a one-time action (5時までに来て = come by 5); 「5時まで」 = duration “right until 5,” followed by a continuous action (5時まで待つ = wait until 5). The first is “finish before the deadline,” the second “continue up to that time.”
Q: How do I quickly pick までに vs まで?
Look at whether the following action is “completed once” or “continuous”: instant-completion verbs (出す, 来る, 終わる, 決める) → までに (deadline); continuous verbs (待つ, いる, 勉強する, 続ける) → まで. One mnemonic: “finish” → までに, “keep doing” → まで.
🖊️ Practice Questions (5)
Q1. 「宿題は明日___提出してください。」 (Please hand in the homework by tomorrow)
(A) まで (B) までに (C) から (D) ために
Q2. 「彼女は試験が終わる___ずっと図書館にいた。」 (stayed in the library until the exam ended)
(A) まで (B) までに (C) ごろ (D) ほど
Q3. 「夜が明ける___、ここで待っていてください。」 (wait here until dawn)
(A) までに (B) まで (C) から (D) ごろ
Q4. 「卒業する___、旅行をしたい。」 (want to travel before graduating)
(A) まで (B) までに (C) から (D) ごろ
Q5. 「授業が始まる___教室に来てください。」 (please come to the classroom before class starts)
(A) まで (B) までに (C) たら (D) から
Answer Explanations
1. (B) までに ── 「提出する (hand in)」 is an instantaneous, completed action, emphasizing a deadline → までに.
2. (A) まで ── 「ずっと図書館にいた (stayed in the library the whole time)」 is a continuous state, lasting until the exam ends → まで.
3. (B) まで ── 「待っていてください (please keep waiting)」 is a continuous action, waiting until dawn → まで.
4. (B) までに（卒業するまでに） ── 「旅行をしたい (want to travel)」 is something to complete before graduating, a deadline → までに.
5. (B) までに ── 「教室に来てください (come to the classroom)」 is an instantaneous action to complete before class starts → までに.