A2 noun 2 min de lectura

~ 까지

It means 'until' or 'up to' a certain point in time or space.

-kkaji
Practice it

Explanation at your level:

You use ~까지 to say 'until'. If you say '2 o'clock', add ~까지 to say 'until 2 o'clock'. It is very easy to use! Just put it after your time or place word.

At this level, you can use ~까지 to describe journeys. 'I go to the station' becomes 'I go station-까지'. It helps you explain your plans clearly to others.

Now you can use it for deadlines. 'Finish the report by Friday' uses ~까지. It helps you manage your schedule and communicate expectations at work or school effectively.

You can now use ~까지 in more abstract ways. It can express the extent of an action or feeling. It adds nuance to your sentences, showing exactly how far your influence or action goes.

At the advanced level, you will notice ~까지 used in complex logical structures. It helps define the boundaries of arguments or hypothetical situations, making your speech precise and sophisticated.

Mastery involves understanding the subtle emotional weight ~까지 can carry. Sometimes it implies 'even' (as in 'even that far'), showing surprise or emphasis. It is a tool for rhetorical flair in high-level discourse.

Palabra en 30 segundos

  • Used for time and place limits.
  • Always attaches to the noun.
  • Pairs perfectly with '부터'.
  • Essential for daily communication.

Think of ~까지 as your go-to word for boundaries. Whether you are talking about a deadline or a destination, this particle tells your listener exactly where the line is drawn.

It is incredibly versatile because it works for both time and space. You can use it to say you are studying until midnight, or that you are walking until the park. It is one of the most essential building blocks for any Korean learner.

The particle ~까지 has deep roots in Middle Korean. Historically, it evolved from a combination of nouns that described limits or edges.

Over centuries, it solidified into its current form as a standard particle. Unlike some other particles that have changed drastically, ~까지 has remained remarkably stable, proving just how vital the concept of 'limits' is to human communication across generations.

You will use ~까지 constantly in daily life. It is neutral, meaning it fits perfectly in both casual chats with friends and professional emails to your boss.

Commonly, it is paired with 시간 (time) or 장소 (place). You will often see it used with verbs like 기다리다 (to wait) or 가다 (to go). It is the standard way to express 'until' without sounding overly stiff or overly slangy.

While ~까지 is a grammatical particle, it appears in many set phrases. For example, 어디까지요? (How far/to what extent?) is a very common way to ask for clarification.

Another common expression is 지금까지 (until now), which is essential for telling stories or summarizing your experiences. These phrases are the bread and butter of natural-sounding Korean conversation.

Grammatically, ~까지 attaches directly to the noun without any space. There is no need for extra particles like 'e' or 'ga' before it.

The pronunciation is straightforward: kka-ji. The double consonant 'kk' is tense, so make sure to push a little air out sharply. It rhymes loosely with words ending in '-ji' like 가지 (eggplant) or 이지 (easy/is).

Fun Fact

It has been a core part of the language for over a thousand years.

Pronunciation Guide

UK /k͈adʑi/

Tense 'k' sound followed by 'a' and 'ji'.

US /k͈adʑi/

Crisp 'k' sound, similar to 'ski' without the 's'.

Common Errors

  • Softening the 'kk'
  • Adding an extra vowel
  • Misplacing the stress

Rhymes With

가지 바지 이지 무지 사지

Difficulty Rating

Lectura 1/5

Very standard.

Writing 1/5

Easy to write.

Speaking 2/5

Needs practice with tense sounds.

Escucha 1/5

Easy to hear.

What to Learn Next

Prerequisites

시간 장소 가다 오다

Learn Next

부터 동안 까지는

Avanzado

조차 마저

Grammar to Know

Particle Attachment

Noun+까지

Time Expressions

1시까지

Spatial Markers

집까지

Examples by Level

1

내일까지 해요.

Until tomorrow do.

Time + 까지

2

집까지 가요.

To house go.

Place + 까지

3

1시까지 기다려요.

Until 1 o'clock wait.

Time + 까지

4

학교까지 멀어요.

To school far.

Place + 까지

5

어디까지 가요?

Where to go?

Question word + 까지

6

여기까지예요.

Up to here it is.

Place + 까지

7

밤까지 공부해요.

Until night study.

Time + 까지

8

서울까지 가요.

To Seoul go.

Place + 까지

1

10시까지 올게요.

2

부산까지 기차로 가요.

3

점심시간까지 쉬어요.

4

어제까지 바빴어요.

5

친구 집까지 걸었어요.

6

다음 주까지 기다려요.

7

공원까지 얼마나 걸려요?

8

끝까지 보세요.

1

마감 기한까지 제출하세요.

2

이번 달까지 계약이 끝나요.

3

산 정상까지 올라갔어요.

4

결혼식까지는 시간이 있어요.

5

어디까지 이야기했죠?

6

거짓말까지 하다니요.

7

상상까지 해봤어요.

8

이것까지 다 먹어야 해요?

1

그는 성공할 때까지 포기하지 않았다.

2

소문이 온 동네까지 퍼졌다.

3

그 문제까지 고려해야 합니다.

4

자존심까지 버리면서 일해요.

5

어디까지가 사실인가요?

6

심지어 이름까지 잊어버렸어요.

7

끝까지 책임지겠습니다.

8

오늘까지의 성과를 발표합니다.

1

그의 열정은 상상을 초월할 정도까지 이르렀다.

2

논의는 세부 사항까지 세밀하게 진행되었다.

3

그는 분노가 극에 달할 때까지 참았다.

4

모든 가능성까지 열어두고 검토합시다.

5

어디까지나 제 개인적인 의견입니다.

6

그는 명예까지 걸고 맹세했다.

7

기다림의 한계까지 다다랐다.

8

그는 모든 것을 끝까지 잃었다.

1

그의 영향력은 국경까지 넘어서고 있다.

2

심연의 끝까지 들여다보는 통찰력.

3

그는 파멸의 끝까지 치달았다.

4

어디까지나 가정일 뿐입니다.

5

그는 자신의 한계까지 스스로를 몰아붙였다.

6

그는 마지막 순간까지 희망을 버리지 않았다.

7

그는 모든 비난까지 감수했다.

8

그는 운명까지 거스르려 했다.

Colocaciones comunes

시간까지
장소까지
끝까지
여기까지
어디까지
내일까지
오늘까지
지금까지
이것까지
저기까지

Idioms & Expressions

"어디까지나"

to the extent of / after all

어디까지나 제 생각이에요.

neutral

"끝까지 가다"

to go the distance / to the end

우리는 끝까지 갈 거예요.

neutral

"지금까지"

until now

지금까지 잘해왔어요.

neutral

"여기까지"

this is it / up to this point

오늘 수업은 여기까지.

neutral

"죽을 때까지"

until death

죽을 때까지 사랑할게.

casual

"마지막까지"

until the very end

마지막까지 최선을 다해요.

neutral

Easily Confused

~ 까지 vs 부터

Both are temporal/spatial markers.

부터 is start, 까지 is end.

9시부터 10시까지.

~ 까지 vs 동안

Both relate to time.

동안 is duration, 까지 is limit.

한 시간 동안 vs 1시까지.

~ 까지 vs 에게

Both particles.

에게 is for people/dative.

친구에게 vs 친구까지.

~ 까지 vs 까지는

Includes '는' topic marker.

까지는 emphasizes the limit.

여기까지는 괜찮아요.

Sentence Patterns

A1

Noun + 까지

내일까지 해요.

A2

Noun + 부터 + Noun + 까지

9시부터 5시까지.

A2

어디 + 까지

어디까지 가요?

B1

Verb(noun form) + 까지

먹을 때까지 기다려요.

B2

Noun + 까지도

이것까지도 다 해요.

Familia de palabras

Nouns

끝 end

Verbs

기다리다 to wait

Relacionado

부터 opposite

How to Use It

frequency

10

Formality Scale

Formal Neutral Casual

Errores comunes

Adding space before 까지 → 집까지
Particles must attach to the noun.
Using 을/를 before 까지 → 학교까지
Do not use object markers.
Confusing 까지 with 부터 → 부터(start) vs 까지(end)
They are opposites.
Using 까지 with verbs → Noun form + 까지
Must attach to a noun.
Mispronouncing the 'kk' → Tense sound
Don't make it a soft 'g'.

Tips

💡

Memory Palace

Place a clock at the end of your hallway to remember time/place.

💡

Daily Routine

Say 'until [time]' every day.

🌍

K-Pop

Listen for '까지' in songs.

💡

No Space

Remember: no space before it!

💡

Tense Sound

Sharpen your 'k'.

💡

Attachment

Don't separate it from the noun.

💡

Versatility

It works for almost everything.

💡

Flashcards

Pair it with From/To cards.

💡

Verb Patterns

Use it with movement verbs.

💡

Sentence Building

Start with simple time phrases.

Memorize It

Mnemonic

K-ji sounds like 'cagey' - don't be cagey, tell me until when!

Visual Association

A road sign pointing to a destination.

Word Web

Time Place Limit Deadline

Desafío

Write 5 sentences about your day using 까지.

Origen de la palabra

Korean

Original meaning: Limit or edge

Contexto cultural

None, very neutral.

Directly maps to the English preposition 'until' or 'up to'.

Used in countless K-pop songs to express longing.

Practice in Real Life

Real-World Contexts

Work

  • 오늘까지 완료
  • 내일까지 제출
  • 회의 끝까지

Travel

  • 서울까지 얼마나
  • 역까지 가요
  • 어디까지 가세요

Study

  • 10시까지 공부
  • 책 끝까지 읽기
  • 시험까지 며칠

Daily Life

  • 집까지 걸어요
  • 언제까지 기다려
  • 지금까지 좋아요

Conversation Starters

"오늘 몇 시까지 일해요?"

"어디까지 가보셨어요?"

"지금까지 가장 좋았던 것은?"

"언제까지 기다릴 수 있어요?"

"끝까지 갈 수 있나요?"

Journal Prompts

What time do you finish work today?

Describe a place you want to travel to.

What have you done until now today?

How long can you wait for someone?

Preguntas frecuentes

8 preguntas

No, it must attach to a noun.

It is neutral and used everywhere.

Use 부터... 까지.

No, it is always 까지.

Yes, but usually it implies a limit of action regarding them.

The double 'k' takes practice but is manageable.

Yes, it is standard in all forms of writing.

You can use '끝' but it sounds less natural.

Ponte a prueba

fill blank A1

내일 ___ 기다려요.

¡Correcto! No del todo. Respuesta correcta: 까지

Until tomorrow.

multiple choice A2

Which means 'until home'?

¡Correcto! No del todo. Respuesta correcta: 집까지

Correct particle usage.

true false B1

까지 can be used for both time and place.

¡Correcto! No del todo. Respuesta correcta: Verdadero

It is very versatile.

match pairs B1

Word

Significado

All matched!

Common phrases.

sentence order B2

Toca las palabras de abajo para formar la oración
¡Correcto! No del todo. Respuesta correcta:

Noun + particle + verb.

Puntuación: /5

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