JLPT N5 Grammar: 〜から〜まで (kara~made) — “From ~ to ~”

JLPT N5 Grammar: 〜から〜まで

Q: Can I use から and まで separately?

Yes. から alone means 'from' (日本から = from Japan). まで alone means 'until' or 'as far as' (駅まで = as far as the station).

Q: What's the difference between まで and までに?

まで = 'until' — the action continues during the whole period. までに = 'by' — a deadline for a one‑time action.

Q: Does から always pair with まで?

No. から can pair with other endings like にかけて (N3), but at N5, から and まで are the standard pair for ranges.

Range expression — “from ~ to ~” (time, place, and extent)

JLPTジェイエルピーティー N5エヌゴ文法ぶんぽう〜から〜まで解説かいせつ (範囲はんい)

⏱️ Study time: 4–6 minutes

から (from) and まで (until/to) work as a pair to express a range in time, space, or quantity. Put the starting point before から and the ending point before まで. You can use them together or independently — and they are among the most frequent particles in daily Japanese.

🚀 JLPT N5 Warm-up Quiz

Q: How do you say “I study from 9 o'clock to 5 o'clock”?

Answer: A (９時から５時まで). から marks the start, まで marks the end. B uses に (time point) — that means "I study at 9 and at 5" (two separate times). C adds に after まで, which is incorrect.

Quick Summary

Grammar Point
から〜まで

Meaning
From ~ to ~ (range)

Pattern
Start + から + End + まで

Example
９時くじから５時ごじまで働はたらきます。くじからごじまではたらきます。Kuji kara goji made hatarakimasu.
I work from 9 to 5.

📝 Core Patterns

Time range: Start time + から + End time + まで

Place range: Start place + から + End place + まで

Can be used independently: から alone = "from", まで alone = "until"

⚠️ から and まで are particles — they attach directly to nouns. No に is needed before them.

🧠 Review から as "because"? See から (kara) — Full Guide →

💡 Toggle furigana, hiragana, or romaji for easier reading.

What is 〜から〜まで?

から and まで are particles that work together to define a range. から marks the starting point (“from”) and まで marks the ending point (“to / until”). They can be used with time, places, numbers, and even abstract concepts.

から can be used alone: “日本にほんから” = from Japan.
まで can be used alone: “東京とうきょうまで” = as far as Tokyo.
Together they form a clear range.

学校がっこうは月曜日げつようびから金曜日きんようびまでです。がっこうはげつようびからきんようびまでです。Gakkō wa getsuyōbi kara kin'yōbi made desu.
School is from Monday to Friday.

⚡ Time Range — 時間の範囲

Example	Meaning
９時くじから５時ごじまで	from 9 o'clock to 5 o'clock
月曜日げつようびから金曜日きんようびまで	from Monday to Friday
１月いちがつから３月さんがつまで	from January to March
朝あさから晩ばんまで	from morning to evening

⚡ Place Range — 場所の範囲

Example	Meaning
東京とうきょうから大阪おおさかまで	from Tokyo to Osaka
家いえから駅えきまで	from home to the station
ここからあそこまで	from here to over there

Examples & Mini Dialogue

毎日まいにち９時くじから５時ごじまで働はたらきます。まいにちくじからごじまではたらきます。Mainichi kuji kara goji made hatarakimasu.
Every day I work from 9 to 5.

✅ Classic work schedule pattern.

この電車でんしゃは東京とうきょうから大阪おおさかまで行いきます。このでんしゃはとうきょうからおおさかまでいきます。Kono densha wa Tōkyō kara Ōsaka made ikimasu.
This train goes from Tokyo to Osaka.

🗣️ Mini Dialogue
A: 夏休なつやすみはいつからいつまでですか。なつやすみはいつからいつまでですか。Natsuyasumi wa itsu kara itsu made desu ka.
B: ７月しちがつ２０日はつかから８月はちがつ３１日さんじゅういちにちまでです。しちがつはつかからはちがつさんじゅういちにちまでです。Shichigatsu hatsuka kara hachigatsu sanjūichinichi made desu.

⚡ から vs に / まで vs までに

Particle	Meaning	Example
から	Starting point (from)	９時くじから = from 9 o'clock
に	Specific time point (at)	９時くじに = at 9 o'clock
まで	End point / "until" (continuous)	５時ごじまで = until 5 o'clock
までに	Deadline / "by" (one‑time action)	５時ごじまでに = by 5 o'clock

⚠️ Critical JLPT Trap: まで = "until" (the action continues through the period). までに = "by" (a deadline — the action happens once before that time). ５時ごじまで待まつ = I will wait until 5. ５時ごじまでに来きてください = Please come by 5.

Common Mistakes (and Fixes)

✕ ９時くじにから５時ごじにまで (adding に before から/まで).

✓ ９時くじから５時ごじまで (から and まで replace に).

✕ 東京とうきょうまでから大阪おおさか (swapping the order).

✓ 東京とうきょうから大阪おおさかまで (から = start, まで = end — order matters).

✕ Using まで for a deadline when までに is needed.

✓ 明日あしたまでに提出ていしゅつしてください = Please submit it by tomorrow.

JLPT N5 Practice Questions

Score: 0 / 3

1. “I work from 8 to 4.” Which particle marks the start?

2. “Please come by 5 o'clock.” Use:

3. “From here to the station” — choose the correct order.

🎯 JLPT N5 tip: から〜まで is one of the most common patterns in the listening section. If you hear both particles in one sentence, a range is being described. Remember: から = start, まで = end — never swap the order.

Test yourself with a free mock exam →

About the Instructor

Taught by Anup Sensei at Gogaku Language & Training Center in Pokhara. With real Japan experience and a focus on exam essentials, he helps students pass the JLPT with confidence.

⚡ Vocabulary Used in This Lesson

Japanese	Reading	Type	English Meaning
働はたらく	はたらく	Godan verb	to work
学校がっこう	がっこう	Noun	school
電車でんしゃ	でんしゃ	Noun	train
東京とうきょう	とうきょう	Noun	Tokyo
大阪おおさか	おおさか	Noun	Osaka
月曜日げつようび	げつようび	Noun	Monday
金曜日きんようび	きんようび	Noun	Friday

Related Grammar

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use から and まで separately?

Yes. から alone means "from" (日本にほんから = from Japan). まで alone means "until" or "as far as" (駅えきまで = as far as the station).

What's the difference between まで and までに?

まで = "until" — the action continues during the whole period. までに = "by" — a deadline for a one‑time action. ５時ごじまで待まつ = I'll wait until 5. ５時ごじまでに来きて = Come by 5.

Does から always pair with まで?

No. から can pair with other endings like にかけて (over a period, N3), but at N5, から and まで are the standard pair for ranges.

Continue Learning

Next: までに (made ni) — deadlines and "by".

Learn までに →

→ Explore the JLPT N5 Grammar Hub

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