Meaning of verb-てまで


I've seen from [this
link](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/11073/meaning-of-
sentence-%E3%81%A6%E3%81%BE%E3%81%A7%E3%81%99%E3%82%8B) and other sources that
verb-てまで means "to the point of verb" or "to the extent of verb". But I can't
make this work in the phrase below.

> 必死で努力してまでほめられるの...
>
> being praised to the point of being frantic and making effort.

From the context I think it should be talking about being frantic and making
effort so that he can get praise.

Is there another interpretation of verb-てまで that makes more sense here?




To approach it from a different angle, it may be useful to know that 〜してまで is
about **weighing the _worth_ of actions**. Often the whole construct is
negated, meaning that Y is not worth X:

> [X してまで Y する] 〜ない  
>  _Y is not worth doing X_

* * *

## Breakdown: Negated example

> お金を払っ **てまで** 食べようとは思わ **ない**  
>  _I don't feel like eating it to the extent of paying money._

You're actually weighing two things, and saying that 食べる is not worth お金を払う:

> [ **お金を払う** してまで **食べる** ] 〜ようとは思わない

* * *

## Breakdown: Non-negated example

> 命をかけ **てまで** 助けてくれた  
>  _They saved me, to the point of risking their life._

Here, the rescuer weighed the two things, and decided that 助ける was worth
命をかける:

> [ **命をかける** してまで **助ける** ] 〜してくれた

* * *

## 必死で努力してまでほめられる

I'm not sure about the context of the ellipsis in your example, but even from
that stub you can parse the overall sentiment as:

> ほめられる is not worth 必死で努力する

The ellipsis could signify a question ( _Is getting praise worth making a
frantic effort…?_ ), or disapproval ( _Wow, making a frantic effort for
praise…_ ). Or it could actually be a non-negated statement, like
“必死で努力してまでほめられるの **が好き**!” ( _I like getting praise so much that it is worth a
frantic effort!_ ).




To approach it from a different angle, it may be useful to know that 〜してまで is
about **weighing the _worth_ of actions**. Often the whole construct is
negated, meaning that Y is not worth X:

> [X してまで Y する] 〜ない  
>  _Y is not worth doing X_

* * *

## Breakdown: Negated example

> お金を払っ **てまで** 食べようとは思わ **ない**  
>  _I don't feel like eating it to the extent of paying money._

You're actually weighing two things, and saying that 食べる is not worth お金を払う:

> [ **お金を払う** してまで **食べる** ] 〜ようとは思わない

* * *

## Breakdown: Non-negated example

> 命をかけ **てまで** 助けてくれた  
>  _They saved me, to the point of risking their life._

Here, the rescuer weighed the two things, and decided that 助ける was worth
命をかける:

> [ **命をかける** してまで **助ける** ] 〜してくれた

* * *

## 必死で努力してまでほめられる

I'm not sure about the context of the ellipsis in your example, but even from
that stub you can parse the overall sentiment as:

> ほめられる is not worth 必死で努力する

The ellipsis could signify a question ( _Is getting praise worth making a
frantic effort…?_ ), or disapproval ( _Wow, making a frantic effort for
praise…_ ). Or it could actually be a non-negated statement, like
“必死で努力してまでほめられるの **が好き**!” ( _I like getting praise so much that it is worth a
frantic effort!_ ).

