JLPT N5 · Particles
から (kara–made)
から・まで — from … to …
In short · から marks a starting point and まで an ending point — in time or space. They are often used together.
Pattern
-
A から B までfrom A to B -
〈time〉から / 〈time〉までfrom / until a time
Start and end
から = from (start), まで = to/until (end): 9じから 5じまで (from 9 to 5), とうきょうから おおさかまで (from Tokyo to Osaka).
Use one alone too
You can use just one side: 10じから はじまります (it starts from 10), きんようびまで (until Friday).
Time and place
Both から and まで work for times and for places.
Examples
-
9じから 5じまで はたらきます。
Ku-ji kara go-ji made hatarakimasu.
I work from 9 to 5.
-
うちから えきまで あるきます。
Uchi kara eki made arukimasu.
I walk from home to the station.
-
なつやすみは きんようびまでです。
Natsuyasumi wa kin'yōbi made desu.
Summer break is until Friday.
Common mistakes
- This から marks a starting point. The same から can also mean "because" (see the expression).
- まで means "up to / until". For "by (a deadline)", Japanese uses までに — one step beyond basic まで.
More grammar points
- は は (wa) — the topic particle
- を を (o) — the object particle
- に に (ni) — time, destination, location
- で で (de) — place of action & means
- と と (to) — and / together with
- の の (no) — possessive & noun linker
- へ へ (e) — direction
- も も (mo) — also / too
- か か (ka) — the question marker
- より より (yori) — than (comparison)
- だけ ～だけ — “only ～”
- で ～で — place, means and cause
- が ～が — marks the subject
- か か — the question particle
- まで ～まで — “until / up to ～”
- も ～も — “also / too”
- なあ ～なあ — sentence-final feeling
- ね ～ね — “..., right? / isn’t it?”
Practice this in the app
Mainichi JLPT turns these grammar points into daily quizzes and a readiness gauge — 100% free, no sign-up.