Lesson 87: 〜間・〜間に・〜までに
N4 · Lesson 87 · 17 min — "The whole time ~," "at some point during ~" and "by (a deadline) ~"
Last lesson you learned ところ and たばかり, which say exactly where an action is. This lesson has three ways to talk about a stretch of time: 間 (the whole time ~), 間に (at some point during that time) and までに (a deadline). Start with the comic!
After this lesson, you can:
- Say "the whole time ~": 待って いる 間、ずっと 寝て いました (I slept the whole time I waited)
- Say "I did something during that time": 待って いる 間に 三本 食べました (While waiting, I ate three skewers)
- Say a deadline: 土曜日までに (by Saturday at the latest), and tell it apart from まで (until ~)
While the Blossoms Last
It is late March, and the cherry trees in Yanaka are in bloom! Rin brings Grandpa's photo to the big tree across from くまや. (比べる = to compare)
〜間 = the whole time ~; 〜間に = something happens during that time; までに = deadline. Next lesson: the window and the tree in the photo look more and more alike...
Words for this lesson: Under the Cherry Tree and Deadlines
- 桜 (sakura): cherry blossoms; cherry tree
- 咲く (saku): (flowers) bloom
- 比べる (kuraberu): to compare
- 満開 (mankai): (flowers) full bloom
- 写真を 撮る (shashin o toru): take a photo
- 動く (ugoku): to move
- 昔 (mukashi): long ago; the past
- 待つ (matsu): to wait
- 間 (aida): period; during; between
- 団子 (dango): dango (rice dumplings)
- ずっと (zutto): all the time; the whole time
- レポート (repōto): report (school assignment)
- 出す (dasu): to hand in; to take out
- 返す (kaesu): to return (something)
- 働く (hataraku): to work
Grammar 1 / 2: 間・間に
Vている / Nの + 間 = the whole time ~; + 間に = at some point during that time, ~ happened
- 〜間: "the whole time": After it comes a state or action that lasts from start to finish. It often goes with ずっと: 夏休みの 間、ずっと 国に いました (I was in my home country the whole summer vacation).
- 〜間に: "at some point during that time": After it comes something that is done once or happens once: 寝て いる 間に 雪が 降りました (While I was sleeping, it snowed). The event falls somewhere inside that period.
- What comes before it: With verbs, use a "lasting" form like 〜て いる or いる, and add 間 directly: 待って いる 間、日本に いる 間. With nouns, add の: 夏休みの 間.
- The two sides can be different people: ながら always means one person doing two things. 間 can link two people: リンが 写真を 撮って いる 間、店長 (Mr. Kuma) は 見て いました.
- 夏休みの 間、ずっと 国に いました。 — I stayed in my home country the whole summer vacation.
- 電車に 乗って いる 間、ずっと 本を 読んで いました。 — I was reading a book the whole time I was on the train.
- 先生が 話して いる 間、みんな 静かでした。 — While the teacher was talking, everyone was quiet.
- 寝て いる 間に 雪が 降りました。 — While I was sleeping, it snowed.
- 夏休みの 間に 京都へ 行きました。 — During summer vacation, I went to Kyoto.
- 桜が 咲いて いる 間に 写真を 撮りたいです。 — I want to take photos while the cherry blossoms are out.
Grammar 2 / 2: までに
Time noun / dictionary form + までに = by ~ at the latest (deadline); まで = continuing until ~
- までに: a deadline: It means "finished by ~ at the latest." 金曜日までに 出して ください = handing it in on Thursday is fine too; Friday is the last day. It is often used with 〜て ください and 〜なければ なりません.
- まで: continuing until ~: まで marks the end point, and the action keeps going until then: 五時まで 働きます = I work from now until five o'clock.
- A tip for telling them apart: Ask yourself: can the next action go on and on? If yes (働く, 勉強する, いる) → まで. If it is done once (出す, 返す, なる, 九時に 来る) → までに. But if you add something repeated like 毎日 (毎日 来る), it becomes a repeated action → まで: 満開まで 毎日 来ます.
- Verbs can come before it too: Dictionary form + までに: 国へ 帰る までに、もっと 上手に なりたいです (Before I go back to my country, I want to get better at Japanese). A time noun goes right before までに, with no の.
- 土曜日までに 満開に なります。 — It will be in full bloom by Saturday.
- 金曜日までに レポートを 出して ください。 — Please hand in your report by Friday.
- 九時までに 学校に 来て ください。 — Please come to school by nine o'clock.
- 月曜日までに この 本を 返さなければ なりません。 — You must return this book by Monday.
- 国へ 帰る までに、もっと 上手に なりたいです。 — Before I go back to my country, I want to get better (at Japanese).
- 五時まで 図書館で 勉強します。 — I studied at the library until five o'clock.