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I'm interested in an exact translation of the particle まで used in this
Internet meme:

![童貞が許されるのは小学生までだよね](https://i.stack.imgur.com/zW66z.png)

In case you can't read the image, here's a transcription:

> 「えーマジ 童貞!?」  
>  「キモーイ」  
>  「童貞が許されるのは小学生までだよねー」  
>  「キャハハハハハハ」

Intuitively, the translation should be something like this:

> Only elementary school students are allowed to be virgins

This translation is backed by the translation of a variation of this phrase
found on [Touhou
Wiki](http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Lyrics:_%E6%82%A3%E9%83%A8%E3%81%A7%E6%AD%A2%E3%81%BE%E3%81%A3%E3%81%A6%E3%81%99%E3%81%90%E6%BA%B6%E3%81%91%E3%82%8B_%EF%BD%9E_%E7%8B%82%E6%B0%97%E3%81%AE%E5%84%AA%E6%9B%87%E8%8F%AF%E9%99%A2):

> イージ[sic]モードが許されるのは 小学生までだよねー
>
> The only people allowed (to play) in easy mode are elementary school kids.

However, according to the grammar guide and [goo
jisho](http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/leaf/jn2/208999/m0u/%E8%BF%84/), まで can
only mean "even", not "only". Following a [dictionary
example](http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/leaf/je2/71830/m0u/%E3%81%BE%E3%81%A7/):

> 老人まで踊っている
>
> Even the elderly are dancing.

I could try translating it as:

> Even elementary school students are allowed to be virgins (?)

But it does not sound right.

Could it be that by saying "小学生まで" we imply "生まれた時から小学生まで"?

> Only elementary school students **and younger children** are allowed to be
> virgins

So, how should まで be translated here and why?
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2013-10-19T23:17:34.867
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2015-08-13T14:27:04.193
2020-06-17T08:18:27.500
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grammar translation particles
童貞が許されるのは小学生までだよね - translation of まで
まで means "until, up to":

> You can get away with being a virgin until elementary school. _or_  
>  Virginity is allowed up to elementary school.

When まで is translated "even" it is used in the same sense as "until/up to and
including, e.g.

> 老人まで踊っている  
>  People up to and including the elderly are dancing. = Even the elderly are
> dancing.
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2013-10-20T01:37:25.440
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answer
I think I can help you with this. I'm going to borrow from cypher with a tip
of my hat. Really great lines. Skip to the end for the short answer. I would
translate it as:

えーマジ童貞！？ **Huh, for real? He's a virgin!?**

キモーイ **Gross**!

童貞が許されるのは小学生までだよねー **Virgin is so, like, elementary school...**

## Here's my explanation:

  * 童貞 **virgin**
  * が許されるのは

This is close to ' **is acceptable** '. ' **OK** ' works to. I think using the
word "allowed" is trying to hard too make the dictionary word fit in the
sentence. Like, here's a common topic on the internet:
**アニメ見たりゲームするのって何歳まで許されるの？** They're saying **how old is acceptable to watch
anime and play video games?** You know, you're 'allowed' to play them until
any age you want. But what's OK? what's _socially_ acceptable?

  * 小学生までだよねー

UP TO elementary school students. What they don't say, but you have to imply,
is the FROM half. Namely, '...but not FROM Junior High (age)... tee hee hee.'

## The Short version

I made a long response but to answer your question much shorter, まで is like
'up to and including'. You are an elementary student up to and including the
time period until you're not. Then you're something else... like a junior high
student. In this, apparently it's acceptable to be a virgin _up to_ this time,
but after that you are 'gross'.

I hope that makes sense.
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