に至るまでright down to; even
It names the far end of a range, somewhere you wouldn't expect things to reach: "right down to", "even". Everything in between is taken in as well.
from … right down to
The survey was carried out all over the country, from the big cities right down to small villages on remote islands.
even
Not just the product's performance but even the thickness of the packaging was strictly inspected.
How to form it
Noun + に至るまで
Usually the end of a range that opens with から: AからBに至るまで. Without から, often after だけでなく.
- Before it
- The far end, and usually a surprising one: the smallest detail, the lowest rank, the remotest place.
- What it adds
- Nothing was left out. It can admire how thorough someone is, or complain about how far they go.
- Where you'll meet it
- News, reports, essays, novels. Out loud, plain まで.
In use
This museum displays a wide range of objects, from royal ornaments right down to the everyday things of ordinary people.
That craftsman never cuts corners, right down to the smallest detail.
細部に至るまで, "down to the last detail", is a set phrase.
That boss has something to say about everything, right down to his staff's private lives.
This festival has gone on without a single break from the Edo period right up to the present day.
With a time: "right up to".
After an outcome, such as 合意 (agreement) or 逮捕 (arrest), the same words just mean "until it was reached": 合意に至るまでの経緯, how the agreement came about.
まで or に至るまで?
Everyone took part in the training, from the president to the new recruits.
What you'd say. Where the range starts and stops.
Everyone took part in the training, from the president right down to the newest recruits.
Written. It leans on the far end: even they were there.
Close neighbours
The everyday "even": one surprising thing on top of the rest, with no range spelled out.
She prepared not only the handouts for me but even the script for the presentation.
に至ってはN1
The extreme case, picked out for a remark of its own: "and as for…", with something worse to say about that one.
All three were late. As for Tanaka, he turned up a whole two hours late.
に至ってN1
A point reached, not a range: "only when things got that far", and usually too late.
Only when someone died did the company finally admit the defect.
Check yourself
1What does this tell you?
警察は、
Choose an answer to see why.
2Which one fits?
この
Choose an answer to see why.
More sentences
This collection records not just the meeting's conclusions but even the passing remarks of the people who were there.
This specification sets out the design requirements, from the basic policy right down to where the buttons go on each screen.
The research team analyzed not only the text of the old documents but even the fibres of the paper.
The international conference drew people of every standing, from heads of state right down to young local activists.