～から～にかけて — Spanning From To
Expresses a continuous range or span across time or space, from one point through to another. Unlike a precise from/until, it marks an approximate, blurred stretch where something happens throughout. Often used for weather, seasons, regions, or periods.
Structure
[Noun (start)] から [Noun (end)] にかけて
Examples
夜から朝にかけて雨が降るでしょう。
Yoru kara asa ni kakete ame ga furu deshou.
It will likely rain from night through morning.
夜 (start) から … 朝 (end) にかけて marks a spread-out span of rain
関東から東北にかけて地震があった。
Kantou kara Touhoku ni kakete jishin ga atta.
There was an earthquake spanning the Kanto through Tohoku regions.
A geographic range from 関東 through 東北
三月から五月にかけて桜が咲きます。
Sangatsu kara gogatsu ni kakete sakura ga sakimasu.
Cherry blossoms bloom from March through May.
An approximate seasonal span, not exact dates
• Nuance: vague, continuous range — not a sharp start/end point. • Contrast with から～まで, which gives a definite boundary. • The verb usually describes something ongoing across the whole span.
Commonly confused with
The JLPT rarely asks whether you recognise a pattern — it asks which of several similar patterns fits. These are the ones ～から～にかけて is tested against.
vs ～から～まで
から～にかけて marks a fuzzy, approximate span where the action occurs throughout; から～まで gives a clear, defined boundary with exact start and end points.
More time expressions
Study Japanese grammar on LenGaki
Everything on this page, free to browse
- 7,788 JLPT vocabulary words, N5 through N1, with readings and audio
- 2,057 kanji with on'yomi, kun'yomi and stroke-order practice
- 444 grammar points with examples and commonly-confused comparisons
- Full-length N5 and N4 mock exams, timed, with real listening audio
Get the Android app