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zyuuzi made ni korarenakereba, kaigi ni okuremasu.

十時じゅうじ　まで　に　来こられなければ、　会議かいぎ　に　遅おくれます。zyuuzi made ni korarenakereba, kaigi ni okuremasu.
If you can’t come by ten o’clock, you will be late for the meeting.
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Questions & Answers about zyuuzi made ni korarenakereba, kaigi ni okuremasu.

What function does までに serve in this sentence?
までに marks a deadline or “by” a certain point in time. Here, 十時までに means “by 10 o’clock” — you must arrive no later than 10:00.
Why can’t we just say 十時まで来られなければ instead of 十時までに来られなければ?
Without に, まで alone means “until” (focusing on duration), not “by” (a deadline). To express “by 10 o’clock,” Japanese requires までに. Saying 十時まで来られなければ would sound unnatural or be interpreted as “if you can’t continue coming until 10:00,” which isn’t intended.
How is 来られなければ formed grammatically?
  1. Base verb: 来る (to come)
  2. Potential form: 来られる (can come)
  3. Negative potential: 来られない (cannot come)
  4. －なければ conditional: drop い from 来られない, add ければ → 来られなければ (“if [you] can’t come”)
Why use the potential form 来られなければ instead of the plain negative 来なければ?
  • 来られなければ literally means “if [you] are unable to come.”
  • 来なければ means “if [you] do not come.”
    Here the speaker emphasizes inability by the deadline, so the potential form is more precise.
I’ve seen 来れる instead of 来られる. Which is correct?
Standard Japanese uses the potential 来られる, but colloquial speech often drops the ら (so-called ら抜き言葉) and says 来れる. In formal writing or polite conversation, stick with 来られる.
Why is 会議 marked with に in 会議に遅れます?
The verb 遅れる (to be late) takes に to mark the event, appointment, or place you’re late for. So 会議に遅れます means “(you) will be late for the meeting.”
Could I say 遅刻します instead of 遅れます?
Yes. 遅れる is a general intransitive verb “to be late,” while 遅刻する is a more formal compound verb often used for scheduled events (e.g., school, work). Both convey “to arrive late,” but 遅刻します sounds a bit more formal or official.
How could I make this sentence more polite or formal?

You can use honorific or more formal conditionals. For example:
もし十時までにお越しにならなければ、会議に遅れてしまいます。

  • お越しになる is the honorific for “come.”
  • 〜てしまいます adds a slightly apologetic nuance to “will end up being late.”