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Read Japanese, beautifully.

N3

Without Doing: 〜ないで / 〜ずに

About 10 minutes · written and reviewed by Haruki Yamamoto

Section 1 of 3

Core meaning

Both 〜ないで and 〜ずに mean “without doing.” They connect an action that did not happen with another action that did. 〜ないで is more common in everyday speech. 〜ずに is more formal and appears often in writing.

  1. Target signal

    朝ごはんを食べないで出かけた。

    I went out without eating breakfast.

    ないで is the everyday spoken pattern for omission.

    Vocabulary notes
    朝ごはんあさごはん
    breakfast
    ないで〜ないで
    without doing; instead of doing
    ごはん
    meal; rice

  2. Compare in context

    メモを見ずに話せるようになった。

    I became able to speak without looking at my notes.

    ずに is the more formal written pattern here.

    Vocabulary notes
    ように〜ように
    so that ...; in order to ...
    ように
    so that; in order to
    話せるはなせる
    can speak; be able to talk

Section 2 of 3

Nuance and register

〜ないで can sometimes mean “instead of doing A, do B.” 〜ずに usually focuses more directly on omission and tends to sound more written or refined. Remember the irregular form せずに from する.

  1. Target signal

    辞書を使わないで、文脈から意味を考えてみよう。

    Let's try to figure out the meaning from context without using a dictionary.

    The speaker intentionally avoids the dictionary and uses context instead.

    Vocabulary notes
    ないで〜ないで
    without doing; instead of doing
    考えてかんがえて
    thinking and...
    から
    from; because

  2. Preview

    何も言わずに、彼は部屋を出て行った。

    Without saying anything, he left the room.

    The omission of speech creates a narrative effect.

    Vocabulary notes
    ずに〜ずに
    without doing
    何もなにも
    anything; nothing (with a negative verb)
    部屋へや
    room

Section 3 of 3

Reading notes

In reading passages, this grammar often shows method, omission, or emotional restraint. It is common in narratives describing what a person did not do before another action happened.

  1. Target signal

    理由を説明しないで断るのは失礼だ。

    Refusing without explaining the reason is rude.

    ないで can sound like 'without first doing that.'

    Vocabulary notes
    ないで〜ないで
    without doing; instead of doing
    ない
    not; there is not
    断ることわる
    to refuse; to turn down

  2. Preview

    彼女は一度も休まずに働き続けた。

    She continued working without taking a single day off.

    休まずに highlights continuous action with no breaks.

    Vocabulary notes
    ずに〜ずに
    without doing
    まず
    first of all
    一度いちど
    once

Reading in context

Read for meaning before checking the answer

Before you read

Read once for the situation. Then notice how 〜ないで changes the meaning before you check the translation.

朝ごはんを食べないで出かけた。 メモを見ずに話せるようになった。 辞書を使わないで、文脈から意味を考えてみよう。 何も言わずに、彼は部屋を出て行った。 理由を説明しないで断るのは失礼だ。 彼女は一度も休まずに働き続けた。 もう一度読んでください。前後の文を比べてください。場面と話し手を考えてください。意味の流れを最後まで確認して、使い分けを考えてください。もう一度読んでください。前後の文を比べてください。場面と話し手を考えてください。意味の流れを最後まで確認して、使い分けを考えてください。もう一

Show English translation

I went out without eating breakfast. I became able to speak without looking at my notes. Let's try to figure out the meaning from context without using a dictionary. Without saying anything, he left the room. Refusing without explaining the reason is rude. She continued working without taking a single day off.

Contextual questions

Answer from the passage before you reveal each explanation.

  1. What is the first reading job for this passage?

    • Identify the situation and how 〜ないで changes it.
    • Translate every word before using context.
    • Ignore the ending because only vocabulary matters.
    • Choose an answer before reading the full passage.
    Check the answer

    Identify the situation and how 〜ないで changes it.

    The goal is to use the situation first, then confirm the role of 〜ないで in context.

Guided practice

Apply the lesson in a few different ways

Work through each prompt, then check the explanation before moving on.

Activity 1 of 4Choose the best context

Which pattern is generally more formal in writing?

Activity 2 of 4Fill the blank

Complete the chunk that carries the lesson meaning (〜ないで).

＿＿＿を食べないで出かけた。

Activity 3 of 4Put it in order

Put these related examples back into the order used in the lesson.

  1. 1メモを見ずに話せるようになった。
  2. 2辞書を使わないで、文脈から意味を考えてみよう。
  3. 3朝ごはんを食べないで出かけた。
Activity 4 of 4Infer from the passage

What should guide your interpretation of 〜ないで in the mini-reading?

Mastery check 1/3

Which pattern is generally more formal in writing?