から and まで: from a starting point to an endpoint

01Draw a range in time or space

Think of から and まで as the two ends of a range. 九時から五時まで describes a span from nine to five. 駅からホテルまで describes a route from the station to the hotel. The words between the markers change, but the starting-point and endpoint relationship stays recognizable. Neither marker requires the other one to appear in every sentence.

02You can name only one end

三時から勉強します tells someone when your study session begins without specifying when it ends. 五時まで勉強します tells someone how long you continue without specifying the start. Choose the information the listener needs. Adding both endpoints to every sentence can sound unnecessarily detailed when one is already known.

03Until is different from by

五時まで勉強します means you keep studying until five. 五時までに宿題を出します means you submit your homework by five. までに creates a deadline: the submission can happen earlier, and it does not need to continue for the entire period. Pair the marker with the kind of event you intend—continuing an activity or completing something before a limit.

04Keep the starting-point meaning separate from “because”

You may see から after a whole clause meaning “because,” as in 雨ですから. That is a different construction from 駅から or 九時から. Look at what comes before the particle: a place or time noun often fits the starting-point pattern, while a complete reason clause needs a different explanation. This guide focuses on ranges so you can use them accurately before adding the next meaning.

YOUR TURN

Make the connection.

Read the situation before choosing. The reason matters as much as the answer.