までEven, To even, To the extent of

The particle まで has a core meaning of 'as far as' or 'to the extent of.' With verbs, it often means 'until A happens'—for example, 友達が来るまでテレビを見ていた ('I was watching TV until my friend came'). In other cases, it can mean 'even,' as in 骨まで食べた ('He even ate the bones'). Both uses reflect the core idea of reaching a certain extent or limit.

The particle まで has the core meaning of 'as far as.' It's commonly used with time expressions to mean 'until' (e.g. 月曜まで休む = 'rest until Monday') and with places to mean 'up to' or 'to (a location)' (e.g. 駅まで送る = 'see [someone] off to the station'). When used with verbs or non-location nouns, it can mean 'even' or 'as much as' (e.g. 骨まで食べる = 'eat even the bones').

Both さえ and まで mean 'even,' but with different nuances. さえ is often used with negatives to express 'not even X,' e.g. 食べることさえできなかった ('I couldn't even eat.'). まで is usually affirmative and highlights something surprising or extreme, e.g. 骨まで食べた ('He even ate the bones.').

まで and ほど both mean 'to the extent of,' but with different uses. まで emphasizes inclusion or a surprising limit, e.g. 骨まで食べた ('He even ate the bones.'). ほど means 'so much that' and often describes degree or intensity, e.g. 痛いほど分かる ('I understand to the point that it hurts.').

Both まで and ほど share the core meaning of 'to the extent of,' but are used differently. まで emphasizes inclusivity or a surprising limit, e.g. 骨まで食べた ('He even ate the bones.'). In contrast, くらい② means 'to the point of' and often expresses degree, e.g. 叫びたいくらい怖かった ('It was so scary I wanted to scream.').

Both grammar points share the idea of 'to the extent of,' but are used differently. ほど～ない makes negative comparisons, e.g. ジョンはトムほど強くない ('John isn't as strong as Tom.'). まで emphasizes something going beyond expectations, e.g. 骨まで食べた ('He even ate the bones.').