JapaneseJLPT
JLPT N5 grammar · Chapter 8

~ないで

Do something without doing another

You’ll be able to say you did one thing without doing another, connecting the two.

Illustration of the scene described by I went out without taking an umbrella.
Read it first

傘かさを持もたないで、出でかけました。

kasa o motanaide, dekakemashita.

What do you think this sentence means?

I went out without taking an umbrella.

Why it means that

Do one thing without doing another

Use ~ないで to say that the following action happens without doing the first action.

Example

朝あさご飯はんを食たべないで、学校がっこうに行いきました。

asagohan o tabenaide, gakkou ni ikimashita.

I went to school without eating breakfast.

How it is built

Negative action + ないで + next action

Put the action you skip in the ない-form, add で, and then state the action you do.

Verb-ない+で+Second clause
Examples

傘かさを持もたないで、出でかけました。

kasa o motanaide, dekakemashita.

I went out without taking an umbrella.

何なにも言いわないで帰かえりました。

nani mo iwanaide kaerimashita.

I went home without saying anything.

砂糖さとうを入いれないで飲のみます。

satou o irenaide nomimasu.

I drink it without adding sugar.

Compare

~ないで vs ~て

~ないで is the negative counterpart to the te-form when describing the condition or manner under which an action is done.

  • ~ないで, without doing

    砂糖さとうを入いれないで、コーヒーを飲のみます。

    satou o irenaide, koohii o nomimasu.

    I drink coffee without adding sugar.

    The action is done with that condition omitted.

  • ~て, with / having done

    砂糖さとうを入いれて、コーヒーを飲のみます。

    satou o irete, koohii o nomimasu.

    I drink coffee with sugar.

    The action is done with that condition included.

Examples

財布さいふを持たもたないで、コンビニに行きいきました。

saifu o motanaide, konbini ni ikimashita.

I went to the convenience store without taking my wallet.

テレビをつけないで、晩ばんご飯ごはんを食べたべました。

terebi o tsukenaide, bangohan o tabemashita.

I ate dinner without turning on the TV.

コートを着きないで、外そとに出でました。

kooto o kinaide, soto ni demashita.

I went outside without wearing a coat.

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