How to Use –kkaji in Korean: Saying “To” or “Until” Easily (Includes Practice Worksheet!)

When you want to say “to,” “until,” or “up to” a certain point in Korean, the essential particle you need is -kkaji (까지). This incredibly useful particle is attached directly to nouns to mark the endpoint of a duration, the final destination of a journey, or the boundary of a range.

For example, “until tomorrow” is 내일까지 (naeil-kkaji), and “to Seoul” is 서울까지 (Seoul-kkaji). Understanding how to use -kkaji is a fundamental skill for talking about schedules, travel, and limits in everyday Korean.

This article is designed to give you a clear and complete understanding of -kkaji (까지). We will begin by exploring its function for marking endpoints in time and then see how it applies to physical locations and destinations.

Most importantly, we will look at its powerful partnership with the starting-point particle -buteo (부터) to create complete “from X to Y” statements.

With a full set of examples and a practice worksheet at the end, you’ll be ready to use this grammar in your own conversations.

The Main Function: Marking an Endpoint in Time (“until”)

This section is all about the most common and important use of -kkaji (까지): indicating when something ends or the deadline for an action. It’s your go-to particle for talking about closing times, due dates, and the end of any time period.

The particle -kkaji (까지) attaches directly to a time-related noun. Just like its counterpart -buteo, the rule is simple: there is no change whether the noun ends in a vowel or a consonant. You just add it to the end.

Formula: [Time Noun] + 까지

• 저녁 (jeonyeok) – evening → 저녁까지 (jeonyeok-kkaji) – until the evening
• 3시 (se si) – 3 o’clock → 3시까지 (se si-kkaji) – until 3 o’clock
• 내일 (naeil) – tomorrow → 내일까지 (naeil-kkaji) – until tomorrow / by tomorrow

Let’s See It in Action (8 Examples)

1. Giving a deadline for a task:“이 보고서는 내일까지 제출해야 해요.” (I bogoseo-neun naeil-kkaji jechulhaeya haeyo.)
   “You have to submit this report by tomorrow.”
2. Talking about how long you plan to do something:“저는 밤 10시까지 공부할 거예요.” (Jeoneun bam yeol si-kkaji gongbuhal geoyeyo.)
   “I am going to study until 10 PM.”
3. Describing a store’s hours:“그 가게는 오후 8시까지 영업해요.” (Geu gage-neun ohu yeodeol si-kkaji yeongeopaeyo.)
   “That store is open until 8 PM.”
4. Stating the duration of an event:“회의는 4시까지 끝날 거예요.” (Hoeui-neun ne si-kkaji kkeutnal geoyeyo.)
   “The meeting will probably end by 4 o’clock.”
5. Talking about a past event:“어제 늦게까지 일했어요.” (Eoje neutge-kkaji ilhaesseoyo.)
   “I worked until late yesterday.”
6. Expressing a continuous state:“우리는 아침까지 이야기를 나눴어요.” (Urineun achim-kkaji iyagi-reul nanwosseoyo.)
   “We talked until the morning.”
7. Asking “by when?”:“언제까지 이 일을 끝내야 하나요?” (Eonje-kkaji i ir-eul kkeutnaeya hanayo?)
   “By when do I have to finish this work?”
8. Setting a final date:“신청은 이번 주 금요일까지 받습니다.” (Sincheong-eun ibeon ju geumyoil-kkaji batseumnida.)
   “We will be accepting applications until this Friday.”

Use Case 2: Marking a Destination or Endpoint in Place (“to”)

Just as it marks an endpoint in time, -kkaji (까지) also marks the final destination of a journey or the physical boundary of a range.

Formula: [Location Noun] + 까지

• 학교 (hakgyo) – school → 학교까지 (hakgyo-kkaji) – to the school
• 여기 (yeogi) – here → 여기까지 (yeogi-kkaji) – up to here / to this point
• 부산 (Busan) – Busan → 부산까지 (Busan-kkaji) – to Busan

Let’s See It in Action (8 Examples)

1. Asking for a ride in a taxi:“서울역까지 가주세요.” (Seoul-yeok-kkaji gajuseyo.)
   “Please take me to Seoul Station.”
2. Asking about the cost of a trip:“여기서 공항까지 얼마나 걸려요?” (Yeogiseo gonghang-kkaji eolmana geollyeyo?)
   “How long does it take to the airport from here?”
3. Describing a walk:“저는 집에서 회사까지 걸어왔어요.” (Jeoneun jib-eseo hoesa-kkaji georeowasseoyo.)
   “I walked from home to the office.”
4. Giving directions:“이 길을 따라 끝까지 쭉 가세요.” (I gir-eul ttara kkeut-kkaji jjuk gaseyo.)
   “Follow this road straight until the end.”
5. When reading a book or document:“어디까지 읽으셨어요?” (Eodi-kkaji ilgeusyeosseoyo?)
   “Up to where did you read?”
6. Describing the extent of something:“물이 허리까지 찼어요.” (Mur-i heori-kkaji chasseoyo.)
   “The water came up to my waist.”
7. Setting a boundary:“오늘은 여기까지만 공부합시다.” (Oneur-eun yeogi-kkajiman gongbuhapsida.)
   “Let’s only study up to this point for today.” (The particle -만 (-man) adds the meaning of “only”).
8. Expressing a complete delivery service:“저희는 집 앞까지 배달해 드립니다.” (Jeohuineun jip ap-kkaji baedalhae deurimnida.)
   “We deliver right up to the front of your house.”

The Perfect Pair: Using -kkaji (까지) with -buteo (부터)

As we’ve seen, the particle -kkaji (까지) is the natural partner to -buteo (부터), which means “from.” When you use them together, you can clearly and efficiently define a complete range, whether it’s for time, place, or a sequence.

Formula: [Start Noun] + 부터 + [End Noun] + 까지

This “from X to Y” structure is one of the most useful and common patterns in the Korean language.

Let’s See Them Together in Action (8 Examples)

1. Describing a store’s full hours of operation:“이 카페는 오전 8시부터 오후 10시까지 영업합니다.” (I kape-neun ojeon yeodeol si-buteo ohu yeol si-kkaji yeongeopamnida.)
   “This café is open from 8 AM to 10 PM.”
2. Outlining a travel itinerary:“인천공항부터 호텔까지 어떻게 가야 해요?” (Incheon-gonghang-buteo hotel-kkaji eotteoke gaya haeyo?)
   “How do I get from Incheon Airport to the hotel?”
3. Giving the range of a book assignment:“이번 주 숙제는 15페이지부터 25페이지까지입니다.” (Ibeon ju sukje-neun sibo peiji-buteo isibo peiji-kkaji-imnida.)
   “This week’s homework is from page 15 to page 25.”
4. Talking about your life history:“저는 2010년부터 2015년까지 대학생이었어요.” (Jeoneun icheonsipnyeon-buteo icheonsibonyeon-kkaji daehaksaeng-ieosseoyo.)
   “I was a university student from 2010 to 2015.”
5. Describing a complete range:“처음부터 끝까지 다 봤어요.” (Cheoeum-buteo kkeut-kkaji da bwasseoyo.)
   “I saw everything from beginning to end.”
6. Defining a period for a sale:“세일은 오늘부터 다음 주 월요일까지입니다.” (Seir-eun oneul-buteo daeum ju woryoil-kkaji-imnida.)
   “The sale is from today until next Monday.”
7. Asking about a bus route:“이 버스는 시청부터 강남역까지 가나요?” (I beoseu-neun sicheong-buteo Gangnam-yeok-kkaji ganayo?)
   “Does this bus go from City Hall to Gangnam Station?”
8. Expressing totality:“머리부터 발끝까지 완벽해요.” (Meori-buteo balkkeut-kkaji wanbyeokaeyo.)
   “It’s perfect from head to toe.”

More Than Just the End: Special Nuances of -kkaji (까지)

While the “to/until” meaning is the main function, -kkaji (까지) can sometimes carry a nuance of “even” or “to the extent of,” often to express surprise or an unexpected addition.

In this usage, it implies that the noun it’s attached to is the final, and often surprising, item in a list of things.

Let’s See It in Action (8 Examples)

1. Expressing surprise that someone ate something unusual:“배가 너무 고파서 이것까지 다 먹었어요.” (Baega neomu gopaseo igeos-kkaji da meogeosseoyo.)
   “I was so hungry that I ate even this.” (Implying “this” was something you wouldn’t normally eat).
2. Describing someone’s extensive skills:“민준 씨는 영어도 잘하고, 중국어도 잘하고, 스페인어까지 잘해요.” (Minjun ssi-neun yeong-eo-do jalhago, junggug-eo-do jalhago, seupein-eo-kkaji jalhaeyo.)
   “Minjun is good at English, good at Chinese, and good at even Spanish.”
3. Complaining about a series of unfortunate events:“지갑을 잃어버리고, 버스도 놓치고, 비까지 오기 시작했어요.” (Jigab-eul ireobeorigo, beoseu-do nochigo, bi-kkaji ogi sijakaesseoyo.)
   “I lost my wallet, missed the bus, and it even started to rain.”
4. When a usually quiet person joins in:“모두가 노래를 부르고 있었는데, 조용하던 수지까지 노래를 불렀어요.” (Moduga norae-reul bureugo isseonneunde, joyonghadeon Suji-kkaji norae-reul bulleosseoyo.)
   “Everyone was singing, and then even Suji, who was quiet, sang.”
5. Listing everything you bought:“옷하고 신발하고 가방, 그리고 모자까지 샀어요.” (Othago sinbarhago gabang, geurigo moja-kkaji sasseoyo.)
   “I bought clothes, shoes, a bag, and even a hat.”
6. Describing a parent’s love:“부모님은 저를 위해 모든 것을 해주시고, 마지막 용돈까지 주셨어요.” (Bumonim-eun jeo-reul wihae modeun geos-eul haejusigo, majimak yongdon-kkaji jusyeosseoyo.)
   “My parents did everything for me and gave me even their last bit of allowance.”
7. When someone unexpectedly joins a trip:“이번 여행에는 우리 강아지까지 같이 가요.” (Ibeon yeohaeng-eneun uri gangaji-kkaji gachi gayo.)
   “Even our puppy is going with us on this trip.”
8. Expressing frustration:“너까지 왜 그래?” (Neo-kkaji wae geurae?)
   “Why are even you being like this?” (You too, Brutus?)

Ready for a Quiz? Let’s Practice with Your -kkaji Worksheet

Now it’s time to see how much you’ve learned. This worksheet will help you get comfortable using -kkaji and its related grammar.

Exercise 1: Choose the Correct Particle

Choose the most appropriate particle (-buteo or -kkaji) to complete each sentence.

1. “저는 내일 (부터/까지) 다이어트를 시작할 거예요.” (I’m going to start a diet from tomorrow.)
2. “숙제는 100페이지 (부터/까지) 끝내야 해요.” (You have to finish the homework up to page 100.)
3. “여기서 저기 (부터/까지) 걸어갑시다.” (Let’s walk from here to there.)
4. “저는 어제 밤늦게 (부터/까지) 공부했어요.” (I studied until late last night.)

(Answers: 1. 부터, 2. 까지, 3. 까지, 4. 까지)

Exercise 2: Fill in the Blanks

Complete the sentences using -buteo and -kkaji.

1. “이 식당은 점심시간이 12시________ 1시________입니다.” (This restaurant’s lunch break is from 12 to 1.)
2. “서울________ 부산________ KTX로 얼마나 걸려요?” (How long does it take by KTX from Seoul to Busan?)
3. “저는 월요일________ 수요일________ 한국어 수업이 있어요.” (I have Korean class from Monday to Wednesday.)

(Answers: 1. 부터, 까지, 2. 부터, 까지, 3. 부터, 까지)

Exercise 3: Building Sentences

Combine the words to form a full, grammatically correct sentence.

1. 나 / 어제 / 밤 11시 / 자다 (I / yesterday / 11 PM / to sleep) [Hint: until 11 PM]________________________.
2. 회의 / 3시 / 끝나다 (The meeting / 3 o’clock / to end) [Hint: by 3 o’clock]________________________.
3. 택시 기사님 / 이 주소 / 가주세요 (Taxi driver / this address / please go) [Hint: to this address]________________________.

(Example Answers):

1. 저는 어제 밤 11시까지 안 잤어요. (Jeoneun eoje bam yeolhan si-kkaji an jasseoyo.) – “I didn’t sleep until 11 PM yesterday.” (Or, if the intent was ‘I slept from 11’, it would be a different structure). A better example might be:
   저는 어제 밤 11시까지 공부했어요. (I studied until 11 PM yesterday).
2. 회의는 3시까지 끝날 거예요. (Hoeui-neun se si-kkaji kkeutnal geoyeyo.)
3. 기사님, 이 주소까지 가주세요. (Gisanim, i juso-kkaji gajuseyo.)

Final Thoughts on Your Journey -kkaji the End

We’ve now traveled from the beginning to the end of the particle -kkaji (까지). You’ve seen how it marks the end of time (“until”), the final destination (“to”), and the upper limit of a range (“up to”).

You’ve also mastered its powerful combination with -buteo (부터) and even peeked at its special nuance of meaning “even.”

This small but mighty particle is a true cornerstone of Korean grammar, and using it correctly will make your sentences clearer and more expressive.

Now it’s your turn to practice. Have you ever set a goal for yourself, like “I will study until 10 PM”? Try writing it in Korean in the comments. Let’s share our goals and learn together