日本語道場

Nihongo Dojo — N3 → N2

Grammar

N2

～てまで

~te made

even to the extent of doing

When to use it

Use ～てまで when you want to frame an action as an extreme, excessive means taken to reach some goal — and almost always to reject or question it. The second clause therefore carries a negative or evaluative judgment (～必要はない、～べきではない、～たくない、意味があるのか). In reports, negotiations and internal debate it is the standard way to draw a line: "not at that cost."

Formation

  • Verbs: て-form + まで → 借金してまで、値下げしてまで
  • Nouns: noun + までして (particle まで attaches directly, often followed by して) → 徹夜までして、私財を投じてまで
  • i-adjectives: no direct attachment; recast with する → 価格を安くしてまで
  • na-adjectives: same — 条件を有利にしてまで
  • Main clause is typically negative or rhetorical: ～必要はない／～べきではない／～たくない／意味があるのか

Examples

  • There's no need to invest in equipment to the point of taking on debt.

  • We can't meet the deadline if it means pushing our staff that far.

  • Is there really any point in winning the order by discounting that much?

  • I don't want to gain share by going so far as to knock out rivals.

  • This isn't a project worth finishing at the cost of giving up our days off.