Comparing 'he' Vs 'made': Key Differences Explained

(Joy walking in the direction of a mountain [~He] vs. Ken arriving at a finish line [~Made])

“I’m heading to Tokyo.” -> Toukyou he ikimasu.
“I’m going as far as Tokyo.” -> Toukyou made ikimasu.
In English, the word “to” does a lot of heavy lifting. But in Japanese, the particles へ (He/E) and まで (Made) paint two completely different mental pictures! Are you pointing an arrow in a direction, or are you drawing a hard line at an endpoint? Let’s master this essential N5 grammar with Joy and Ken!

🗣 Conversation Scene

Joy is training for a marathon and is stretching outside before her run.

Joy

ケンさん、マラソンの練習（れんしゅう）です！
今日は、あそこの公園（こうえん）へ走ります！🏃‍♀️
(Ken, I’m practicing for a marathon! Today, I will run “he” [in the direction of] that park over there! 🏃‍♀️)

Ken

Joyさん、頑張（がんば）って！公園の「方向（ほうこう）」に向かって走るなら正解ですが、「公園をゴールにする」なら、「公園まで走ります」の方が自然ですよ！🏁
(Joy, do your best! If you are running in the “direction” of the park, that’s correct, but if the park is your goal/finish line, “Kouen made hashirimasu” [run until the park] is more natural! 🏁)

💡 Explanation

The Arrow vs. The Finish Line

1. へ (He / pronounced “e”) = Direction (The Arrow ➔)

Focus: The journey and the heading.
When you use “He”, you are putting an arrow on a map. It shows the direction you are moving. The focus is on the *action of heading there*, rather than actually arriving.

南（みなみ）へ向かいます。
(I am heading toward the south. *Direction*)
日本へ行きたいです。
(I want to go to Japan. *Focusing on the journey/direction*)

*Note: In modern Japanese, the particle に (ni) is very often used interchangeably with “he” for destinations.*

2. まで (Made) = Endpoint / Limit (The Finish Line 🏁)

Focus: The absolute limit (Time or Space).
When you use “Made”, you are drawing a hard line. It means “up to this point, and no further.” It emphasizes arriving at the goal or reaching the limit of a continuous action.

駅まで歩きます。
(I will walk as far as the station. *The station is the stopping point*)
この本を 50ページまで読みました。
(I read this book up to page 50. *The limit of the action*)

📊 Comparison Table

Particle	Visual Metaphor	Core Meaning	English Nuance
へ (He)	Arrow (➔)	Direction / Heading	Toward / In the direction of
まで (Made)	Finish Line (🏁)	Endpoint / Limit	As far as / Until / Up to

🚧 The Time Limit Trap!

Because “He” is an arrow pointing in physical space, you CANNOT use it with Time!

❌ Wrong: 私は 5時へ働きます。
(Nuance: “I will physically walk in the direction of the number 5:00 on a clock.” Makes no sense!)

✅ Right: 私は 5時まで働きます。
(Nuance: “I will work until the endpoint of 5:00.” Always use ‘Made’ for time limits!)

🔥 Practice Quiz

Tap to check the answer!

Q1. I studied Japanese until 10 PM last night.
(Kinou no yoru, 10-ji ______ Nihongo o benkyou shimashita.)

Answer: made (まで)
10 PM is a time limit, so “he” cannot be used.

Q2. The flock of birds flew away toward the south.
(Tori no mure wa, minami ______ tonde ikimashita.)

Answer: he (へ) OR ni (に)
“South” is a broad direction, so an arrow (He) is perfect here.

Q3. Let’s race! Let’s swim as far as that island over there!
(Kyou sou shiyou! Ano shima ______ oyogou!)

Answer: made (まで)
The island is the finish line/goal of the race.

Keep practicing with JPLT!