JLPT N3・N5 Grammar – Difference between “〜まで” and “〜にかけて”
Table of Contents
1. Difference between “〜まで” and “〜にかけて”
2. AからBまで
3. AからBにかけて
4. “〜まで” VS “〜にかけて”
5. Summary
6. Quiz
7. Similar Articles
8. Comment
Q: Is there a difference in meaning between “〜まで” and “〜にかけて”?
A: “AからBまで” and “AからBにかけて” both indicate a range of place or time, but there is a slight difference in meaning depending on whether you use “〜まで” or “〜にかけて”.
AからBまで (JLPT N5)
[Rules]
[Words indicating time] from time1 to time2
[Words indicating place] from place1 to place2
[Words indicating people or things] from person1 to person2
[Examples]
今週の月曜日から来週の火曜日まで、この道は使えません。
This road will be closed from this Monday to next Tuesday.
A駅からB駅までどのくらいかかりますか。
How long does it take from Station A to Station B?
このかべからあのかべまで何メートルかな。
How many meters is it from this wall to that wall?
AからBにかけて (JLPT N3)
[Rules]
[Words indicating time] from time1 to time2
[Words indicating place] from place1 to place2
[Examples]
6月19日から6月30日にかけて雨が降るそうです。
It is expected to rain from June 19 to June 30.
明日は北海道から関東にかけていい天気のようです。
Tomorrow, it seems like the weather will be nice from Hokkaido to Kanto.
音楽祭は来週から来月にかけて開催されます。
The music festival will be held from next week to the following month.
”〜まで” VS “〜にかけて“
“〜まで” clearly defines the start and end points.
[Examples]
店は午前10時から午後8時までです。
The store is open from 10 AM to 8 PM.
⇒ Since the closing time of the store is clear, “まで” is used.
東京駅から大阪駅まで新幹線で1万5千円ぐらいかかります。
It costs about 15,000 yen to take the Shinkansen from Tokyo Station to Osaka Station.
⇒ Since each station’s location is clear, “まで” is used.
On the other hand, “〜にかけて” does not clearly define the end point.
It is used to indicate the approximate range of an action or effect, including locations or time periods, and is often used in weather forecasts, events, or activity periods.
[Examples]
6月19日から6月30日にかけて雨が降るそうです。
It will rain from around June 19 to June 30.
⇒ It does not mean that it will definitely rain until the 30th, but rather that it will rain approximately until the 30th.
この祭りは7月の終わりから8月の始まりにかけて行われます。
This festival takes place from the end of July to the beginning of August.
⇒ It will generally be held until the beginning of August.
ウォークマンは1979年から2010年にかけて生産されました。
The Walkman was produced from around 1979 to 2010.
⇒ It was generally produced until around 2010.
In this way, “〜にかけて” is limited in its usage and is not used for personal matters as shown below.
[Examples]
〇 いつも12時から7時ぐらいまで寝ます。
× いつも12時から7時にかけて寝ます。
I always sleep from around 12 to 7.
〇 社長は一日から十日ごろまで出社しません。
× 社長は一日から十日にかけて出社しません。
The president will not come to the office from the 1st to around the 10th.
Summary
AからBまで
- “〜まで” is used when the start and end points are clear and can be used to indicate time, place, people, or objects.
AからBにかけて
- “〜にかけて” is used when the end point is not very clear and indicates the approximate range of action or effect, whether in terms of time or place.
- It is commonly used with words that indicate time or place.
Quiz
Read the following sentence and choose the expression that fits the context from the options provided in the parentheses.
Click on the question to check the answer.
A. まで
学校は月曜日から金曜日まであります。
School is from Monday to Friday.
*”まで” is correct because it indicates the clear period from Monday to Friday.
A. にかけて
今朝の地震は東京から仙台にかけて揺れました。
This morning’s earthquake shook from Tokyo to Sendai.
*”にかけて” is appropriate because it shows the range affected by the earthquake.
A. まで
この線からあの線までどっちが速いか競争しよう。
Let’s race to see which is faster from this line to that line.
*”まで” is correct because the running range is clear.
A. にかけて
雪は12月から2月にかけて降るようです。
It seems that snow will fall from December to February.
*”にかけて” is suitable because it indicates an uncertain period when it might snow.
