まで

Particle (Basic ㊦ 225)

A particle to indicate a spatial, temporal or quantitative limit or an unexpected animate/inanimate object.

Equivalent: As far as; till; up to; until; through; even

昨日は三時から五時まで友達とテニスをした・しました。: Yesterday I played tennis from three to five with my friend.
東京から京都まで新幹線で三時間かかる・かかります: It takes three hours by bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto.
私が行くまでうちで待っていて下さい。: Please wait at home until I get there.
このホールは二千人まで入れる・入れます。: This hall can hold up to 2,000 people.
あの人は鼠やスカンクは勿論蛇まで好きだ・好きです。: He even likes snakes, not to mention rats and skunks.
アメリカ人は毎週月曜日から金曜日まで働く。: Americans work every week from Monday through Friday.
駅から大学までは歩いて十分ぐらいです。: It's about 10 minutes from the station to the university on foot.
スミスさんは刺身は勿論、納豆まで食べるんですよ。: Mr. Smith even eats fermented soybeans, not to mention raw fish.
飛行機が出るまでロビーで友達と話していた。: Until the plane left I was talking with my friend in the lobby.

Formation

(i) Noun (time/location)	まで
	五時/学校まで	Until five/as far as school
(ii) Vinformal nonpast	まで
	話すまで	Until someone talks/talked
	食べるまで	Until someone eats/ate
(iii) Number-counter	まで
	四十人まで	Up to forty people
	五枚まで	Up to five sheets of paper

Notes

'Xまで' and 'until X' do not have the same meaning when X represents a duration of time. For example, in (1) 来週の月曜日まで means that the speaker will be absent next Monday; therefore, the corresponding English is 'until next Tuesday'.

私は来週の月曜日まで休みます。
I'll be absent until next Tuesday.