から/まで (from/until) in Japanese

Overview

The particles から (kara) and まで (made) mark starting points and ending points respectively. から means "from" or "since," while まで means "until," "to," or "up to." They work for time, place, and even abstract ranges, and they are frequently used together to define a complete span.

These particles are among the first you learn at the A1 level because they appear constantly in daily life: work hours, travel routes, store schedules, and more. They are straightforward in meaning and attach directly to nouns without any conjugation, making them easy to pick up.

How It Works

Particle	Meaning	Attaches to	Example
から	from, since	Time or place noun	九時から (from 9 o'clock)
まで	until, to, up to	Time or place noun	五時まで (until 5 o'clock)

Combined pattern: から...まで

When used together, they define a complete range:

• Time: 九時から五時まで (from 9 to 5)
• Place: 東京から大阪まで (from Tokyo to Osaka)

Key points

• から and まで can each be used independently.
• They do not replace other particles. You may see additional particles after them: までに (by a deadline), からの (from... [modifying a noun]).
• から also has a separate meaning of "because" when attached to a clause, but at A1 level, focus on the "from" meaning.

Examples in Context

Japanese	English	Note
九時から五時まで働きます。(kuji kara goji made hatarakimasu.)	I work from 9 to 5.	Time range
東京から大阪まで三時間です。(toukyou kara oosaka made sanjikan desu.)	It's 3 hours from Tokyo to Osaka.	Place range
昨日から雨が降っています。(kinou kara ame ga futteimasu.)	It's been raining since yesterday.	から alone, starting point
ここまで歩きました。(koko made arukimashita.)	I walked up to here.	まで alone, ending point
月曜日から金曜日まで学校があります。(getsuyoubi kara kinyoubi made gakkou ga arimasu.)	There is school from Monday to Friday.	Day range
朝から晩まで忙しいです。(asa kara ban made isogashii desu.)	I'm busy from morning to evening.	Full day range
一から十まで数えてください。(ichi kara juu made kazoete kudasai.)	Please count from 1 to 10.	Number range
家から駅まで十分です。(ie kara eki made juppun desu.)	It's 10 minutes from home to the station.	Distance/time
三月から日本語を勉強しています。(sangatsu kara nihongo o benkyou shiteimasu.)	I've been studying Japanese since March.	から alone, starting point
ここから見えます。(koko kara miemasu.)	You can see it from here.	から alone, starting point

Common Mistakes

Confusing まで (until) with までに (by)

• Wrong: 五時まで宿題を出してください。 (intending "by 5 o'clock")
• Right: 五時までに宿題を出してください。
• Why: まで means "until" (continuous up to that point). までに means "by" (deadline). Submitting homework is a one-time action with a deadline, so you need までに.

Using から for "because" when meaning "from"

• Wrong: 寒いから来ました。 (intending "I came from the cold place")
• Right: 寒いところから来ました。
• Why: When から follows a clause (adjective/verb), it means "because." To mean "from a place," attach it to a noun.

Forgetting that から...まで includes both endpoints

• This is not a grammar error, but a comprehension point. 月曜日から金曜日まで includes both Monday and Friday, unlike some English expressions where "to" can be ambiguous.

Practice Tips

• Describe your daily schedule using から and まで: what time you start and finish work, meals, study sessions. This gives you natural repetition.
• Practice place-based sentences by describing routes: from your home to school, from one city to another. Add time information for extra practice.
• When reading Japanese signs or schedules (営業時間: 10:00~20:00), mentally convert them using から and まで.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Basic Particles は/が/を/に — the foundational particle system