까지 until Particle: Meaning, Rules and Examples

The 까지 until particle is the Korean marker that attaches to a time or place noun to show where something ends: "until" for time and "to" or "as far as" for place. Say 오후 여섯 시까지 일해요 for "I work until six p.m." After this lesson you can use 까지 correctly and tell its three meanings apart.

What you'll learn

• Attach 까지 to a time or a place noun and say where a span ends.
• Pair 까지 with 부터 or 에서 to name both ends of a span.
• Choose "until" or "by" by looking at the verb.
• Recognise the "even" and "on top of that" meanings, as in 너까지 and 바람까지.

Before you start: you can attach simple particles to nouns and know the time use of 에, covered in the lesson on the time particle 에. Estimated time: 15 minutes.

What Does the 까지 until Particle Mean?

The 까지 until particle means "until", "by", "to" or "as far as", depending on the noun and the verb. It always marks an end: the last moment of a time span, the last point of a distance or the outer limit of a range. A particle (조사, josa) is a short ending glued to a word to show its job in the sentence, a little like a label on a box.

English uses different words for the same idea. "Until six" and "by six" are two words for an end in time, and "to Seoul" and "as far as Seoul" are two for an end in space. Korean uses one particle. The verb tells the listener which English word fits. 까지 also has a second life as the word "even", which the section on other meanings covers.

A First Example

The two sentences below put 까지 on a time word and a place word. Read the Korean first, then the romanization, then the meaning.

• 오후 여섯 시까지 일해요. (ohu yeoseot sikkaji ilhaeyo) [오후 여섣씨까지 일해요] = "I work until six p.m." In fast everyday speech 일해요 often sounds like [이래요]. Word by word: 오후 (afternoon) + 여섯 시 (six o'clock) + 까지 (until) + 일해요 (work).

• 서울까지 얼마나 걸려요? (seoulkkaji eolmana geollyeoyo) = "How long does it take to Seoul?" Word by word: 서울 (Seoul) + 까지 (to) + 얼마나 (how long) + 걸려요 (it takes).

Notice two things. First, 까지 is written without a space and begins with the tense consonant ㄲ, which is said with a firm, tight stop. Second, the hour 여섯 시 is pronounced [여섣씨]: the final ㅅ of 여섯 becomes a [ㄷ] sound, and the ㅅ of 시 becomes tense. With the meaning in place, the next section shows how to build the phrase.

How Does the 까지 until Particle Work?

The 까지 until particle has one form, and it follows the noun that marks the end. It does not change after a vowel or a consonant, so you never choose between two versions. The particle also stays the same in all speech levels.

1. Pick the noun that names the end: 여섯 시, 금요일, 서울, 집.
2. Attach 까지 directly to it, with no space: 여섯 시까지.
3. Add a verb that describes what happens up to that end, such as 일하다 (work) or 기다리다 (wait), or what happens by that end, such as 내다 (hand in).
4. Put the verb last.

To name both ends of a span, add a particle for the start. 부터 (from) goes with time and with other nouns: 아침부터 저녁까지 (achimbuteo jeonyeokkaji) means "from morning to evening". 에서 (from) goes with places: 서울에서 부산까지 (seoureseo busankkaji) [서우레서 부산까지] means "from Seoul to Busan". The lesson on the 부터 from particle covers the first half of the pair.

Pattern Table

The table lists common nouns with 까지. Brackets show how the phrase sounds where it differs from the spelling.

The table shows that the particle is the same in every row. The type of noun changes the English word but not the Korean form. The form rule is complete, so the next section builds one full sentence from scratch.

Worked Example, Step by Step

This worked example builds 오후 여섯 시까지 일해요 ("I work until six p.m.") from its parts. Each step names one decision, so you can repeat the process with any end point.

1. Choose the end point. You work until six in the evening, so the end is 여섯 시 (six o'clock).
2. Add the part of day if needed. 오후 (afternoon) makes the hour clear: 오후 여섯 시.
3. Attach 까지. Write 여섯 시 and add 까지 directly: 여섯 시까지. A space belongs between 여섯 and 시, but none before 까지.
4. Check the verb. You are working over the whole span, not finishing a single act at the end. That is an ongoing action, so 까지 means "until".
5. Choose the verb form. 일하다 (to work) in the polite present is 일해요.
6. Put the verb last. Korean ends with the predicate: 오후 여섯 시까지 일해요.
7. Leave out what is obvious. The speaker "I" is clear from the context, so no subject is needed.
8. Say it aloud. The phrase sounds like [오후 여섣씨까지 일해요]. In fast speech the ㅎ of 일해요 often weakens, giving [이래요].

You'll know it worked when you can swap the parts and still choose correctly. Replace the time with 서울 and the verb with 가요, and you get 서울까지 가요 ("I go as far as Seoul"). Replace the verb with a one-time action such as 내다 (hand in) and the meaning shifts from "until" to "by": 금요일까지 내세요 (geumyoilkkaji naeseyo) [그묘일까지 내세요] means "Please hand it in by Friday."

The worked example shows that the same particle gives "until" or "by" depending on the verb. The next section compares 까지 with the particles that sit next to it.

How Is 까지 Different from Similar Forms?

The 까지 particle marks the last point of a span, while 에 marks one point and 부터 marks the first point. Four patterns often compete, and the table puts them side by side.

The test is simple. Ask whether you are naming a single moment (에), the start (부터), the end (까지) or a surprising extra (까지, "even"). The sentence 세 시에 일해요 says that work happens at three. The sentence 세 시까지 일해요 says that work continues until three. Both are correct Korean with different meanings.

Two similar patterns need a short note. The lesson on 부터 까지 vs 에서 까지 explains why time spans use 부터 and place spans use 에서. The lesson on the 조차 마저 even particles covers two more particles that mean "even", with a more negative feeling. The comparison is clear, so the next section collects the other meanings and the limits of the rule.

When Do You Use 까지, and When Not?

Use 까지 whenever a noun names the end of a time span, a distance or a range. Beyond that core job, the particle has three other behaviours, and it has limits.

Does 까지 Mean "until" or "By"?

Use the verb to decide. An ongoing action, such as 일하다 (work), 기다리다 (wait) or 자다 (sleep), lasts through the span and stops at the end, so 까지 means "until": 세 시까지 기다려요 means "I wait until three." A one-time action, such as 내다 (hand in), 끝내다 (finish) or 오다 (come), happens once before the end, so 까지 means "by": 내일까지 숙제를 끝내세요 (naeilkkaji sukjereul kkeunnaeseyo) [내일까지 숙제를 끈내세요] means "Finish your homework by tomorrow."

What Does 까지 Mean as "Even"?

Used after a person or thing, 까지 means "even" or "on top of that". It names a surprising extra item, and the speaker did not expect it to be included. 너까지 그렇게 말해? (neokkaji geureoke malhae) [너까지 그러케 말해] means "Even you say that?" Another use adds one more thing to a list of troubles: 비가 오는데 바람까지 불어요 (biga oneunde baramkkaji bureoyo) [바람까지 부러요] means "It is raining, and the wind is blowing too." Context separates this meaning from the end-point meaning, because a person or an item sits before 까지, not a time or a place.

Combining 까지 with Other Particles

까지 can be followed by 는, 도 or 만 to add emphasis, contrast or limit. 여섯 시까지만 열어요 (yeoseot sikkajiman yeoreoyo) [여섣씨까지만 여러요] means "We are open only until six." The combination keeps the end-point meaning and adds the idea that nothing continues after it.

Cases Where 까지 Does Not Fit

• The starting point. Use 부터 (from) for time and 에서 (from) for place, not 까지.
• A single event at a point. Use 에 for "at three": 세 시에 만나요.
• A length of time. Use 동안 for "for two hours": 두 시간 동안 일해요.

One honest limit: "until" and "by" are English words, and they split Korean meaning in a way Korean does not. The verb choice rule above gives the safe default, but a few verbs can go either way, and the context then decides. When the English is unclear, ask what happens at the end: does the action stop (until) or has it already happened (by)? With the uses sorted, the next section lists the mistakes that come from mixing them up.

What Mistakes Do Learners Make?

Learners make four common mistakes with 까지. Each one follows the pattern "learners often assume X; actually Y, because Z".

1. Using 에 for a deadline. Learners often assume 에 covers all time words, so they say 금요일에 내세요. Actually 에 marks a single point, so this means "hand it in on Friday". To say "by Friday", use 금요일까지 내세요.
2. Using 까지 for the starting point. Learners say 서울까지 출발해요 for "I leave from Seoul". Actually 까지 marks the end, and the starting place takes 에서: 서울에서 출발해요.
3. Saying 가지 for 까지. Learners pronounce the first sound softly, like 가지 (kind, or branch, or eggplant). Actually 까지 starts with a tense ㄲ, which is a tight, unaspirated stop with no puff of air. A soft [가지] sounds like a different word.
4. Treating "even" as the end-point meaning. Learners read 너까지 as "until you". Actually a person before 까지 points to "even" or "as well", so the sentence means "even you".

A practical rule of thumb: if the noun before 까지 names a time or a place, think "end". If it names a person or a thing in a list, think "even" or "as well". The practice below checks both halves of that rule.

Practice and Answers

These four exercises check the core outcome: using 까지 in a new sentence and explaining how it differs from 에. Try each one before reading the answers.

Exercise 1: Choose the particle. Fill in the blank with 에 or 까지: 세 시__ 기다려요. (I wait until three.)

Exercise 2: Fix the error. A learner wants to say "Please hand it in by Friday" and writes 금요일에 내세요. Correct it.

Exercise 3: Translate. "How long does it take to the airport?" (airport = 공항, how long does it take = 얼마나 걸려요)

Exercise 4: Write your own. Write one sentence that says until what time you study today (study = 공부해요, ten o'clock = 열 시).

Answer Key

• Exercise 1: 세 시까지 기다려요. Waiting is an ongoing action that stops at three, so 까지 means "until". With 세 시에 기다려요, the sentence would say that the waiting happens at three.
• Exercise 2: 금요일까지 내세요. (geumyoilkkaji naeseyo) 내다 is a one-time action, so 까지 means "by". The original 금요일에 내세요 means "hand it in on Friday".
• Exercise 3: 공항까지 얼마나 걸려요? (gonghangkkaji eolmana geollyeoyo) The airport is the end of the trip, so it takes 까지.
• Exercise 4: One model answer: 저는 열 시까지 공부해요. (jeoneun yeol sikkaji gongbuhaeyo) = "I study until ten o'clock." 열 시 is the end of an ongoing action, so 까지 means "until".

If you missed Exercise 1 or 2, reread the comparison table. The next section shows where to go from here.

Next Lessons and Where to Go from Here

The next lesson in this set is the 부터 from particle, the partner that marks the first point of a span. After that, read 부터 까지 vs 에서 까지 for the choice between time and place pairs. To review the single-point use, return to the time particle 에 and the location particle 에서. The earlier lesson in this set is the 마다 every particle.

What this lesson does not cover. This lesson does not cover the full range of "even" particles such as 조차 and 마저, the verb ending -(으)ㄹ 때까지 (until the time when), or number-based deadlines with dates. Every lesson in this particle set is listed on korean comparison particles.

In short, the 까지 until particle marks the end of a span of time, a distance or a range: attach it to the final point, choose "until" or "by" from the verb, and read it as "even" when it follows a person or a thing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does 까지 mean? 까지 marks an end point. With time it means "until" or "by" (여섯 시까지, until six), and with place it means "to" or "as far as" (서울까지, to Seoul). A third meaning is "even" or "on top of that", as in 너까지 (even you). The right English word depends on the noun and the verb.

How do I form 까지? Attach 까지 straight to a noun with no space and no change: 여섯 시까지, 금요일까지, 서울까지, 집까지. It has one form, so the final sound of the noun does not matter. The ㄲ is a tense sound, so say it with a firm stop, [까지], and not like the softer 가지 (kind, branch).

What is the most common mistake with 까지? Learners use 에 for a deadline, as in 금요일에 내세요. That sentence means "hand it in on Friday", so even Thursday would be too early. To say "by Friday", use 금요일까지 내세요. The second most common mistake is using 까지 for the starting point, which needs 부터 (from).

How is 까지 different from similar forms? 에 marks one point in time or place (세 시에, at three), while 까지 marks the last point of a span (세 시까지, until three). 부터 marks the first point. In its "even" meaning, 까지 resembles 조차 and 마저, which are used mostly with negative or sad news, whereas 까지 can add good or bad things.

Do I use 까지 in speech, writing or both? Both. 까지 appears in casual chat, polite speech, announcements and formal writing, and it does not change with politeness. Speakers often add 는, 도 or 만 after it for extra meaning: 여섯 시까지만 열어요 means "We are open only until six." Learn the plain form first and add these endings later.