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Grammar › Compulsion & Restraint

までして — “going as far as to do (something extreme)”

JLPT N2 Compulsion & Restraint

Emphasizes just how extreme a means was, used to reach some end

Verb (in its noun-modifying/plain form) + までして emphasizes that an extreme or costly method was used to achieve something, almost always with a note of the speaker questioning whether it was worth it — “(going) so far as to use X as a means.” It's closely related to てまで, often interchangeable with it.

How to form it

PatternExample
Plain form + までして無理をしてまでして、間に合わせる必要はない — There's no need to push yourself that hard just to make it in time

Example sentences

JapaneseReadingMeaning
ひとをだましてまでして、おかねをかせぎたくない。
hitowodamashitemadeshite、okanewokasegitakunai。
I don't want to make money by going so far as to deceive people.
けんこうをぎせいにしてまでして、はたらくひつようはない。
kenkouwogiseinishitemadeshite、hatarakuhitsuyouhanai。
There's no need to work at the cost of sacrificing your health.
しゃっきんをしてまでして、りょこうにいくことはない。
shakkinwoshitemadeshite、ryokouniikukotohanai。
There's no need to go into debt just to go on a trip.

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Watch out

までして almost always appears with a negative judgment attached (だれかを傷つけてまでして…する必要はない) — it isn't used to neutrally praise an impressive effort; save it for questioning whether the cost was worth it.

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