At a glance
Verb て-form + まで means "go so far as to (do something extreme)" in order to reach a goal. It often shows the speaker's surprise or doubt that someone would go that far.
Verb て-form + まで + main clause
彼は借金してまで新しい車を買った。 He went so far as to borrow money to buy a new car.
How to form it
Put the extreme action in the て-form and add まで. The goal comes in the main clause.
| Verb group | Dictionary form | て-form + まで |
|---|---|---|
| う-verb | 並ぶ | 並んでまで |
| う-verb | 休む | 休んでまで |
| る-verb | 借りる | 借りてまで |
| する | 借金する | 借金してまで |
| 来る | 来る | 来てまで |
Tense, negation and politeness go on the main verb at the end: 借金してまで買った / 買いたくない / 買う必要はありません.