Without doing: 〜ずに・〜ず
Verb ない-form without ない + ずに（ず）; する → せずに
ない-form without ない + ずに: “without doing”, a more written version of ないで. する → せずに, 来る → こずに. 〜ず、 on its own: written form (without / cause).
In short
〜ずに means “without doing”: 朝ご飯を食べずに出かけた, “I went out without having breakfast”. It's a slightly more written equivalent of 〜ないで. Its short form 〜ず, mid-sentence, is used in writing for “without” or for a cause (“since… not”). Watch out for する, which becomes せずに.
- 朝ご飯を食べずに出かけた。あさごはんをたべずにでかけた。I went out without having breakfast.
- だれにも言わずに国へ帰った。だれにもいわずにくにへかえった。He went back to his country without telling anyone.
- 宿題をせずに遊びに行った。しゅくだいをせずにあそびにいった。He went off to play without doing his homework.
The basics
ず is an old negative, the ancestor of ない. It has survived in a few set forms, including 〜ずに: “without doing”. The meaning is the same as 〜ないで, with a slightly more written, more sober touch. You also hear it a lot in careful speech.
I went out without having breakfast.
- noun
- grammatical form
- verb
- 傘を持たずに出かけてしまった。かさをもたずにでかけてしまった。I went out without an umbrella (oops).
How to form it
Take the ない-form, drop ない, add ずに. Two exceptions: する becomes せずに (never しずに), and 来る becomes 来ずに (こずに).
| Verb | ない-form | 〜ずに |
|---|---|---|
| 行く | 行かない | 行かずに |
| 食べる | 食べない | 食べずに |
| 言う | 言わない | 言わずに |
| する | しない | せずに |
| 来る | 来ない (こない) | 来ずに (こずに) |
- 連絡もせずに休むのはよくない。れんらくもせずにやすむのはよくない。It isn't right to take a day off without even letting anyone know.
〜ず、: the written form
Without に, 〜ず comes before a comma, mainly in writing. It means “without” or expresses a negative cause (“since… not”). You also find it in set expressions such as 思わず (“without meaning to, in spite of myself”).
- 彼は何も言わず、部屋を出ていった。かれはなにもいわず、へやをでていった。He left the room without saying a word.
- 雨が降らず、畑の野菜が育たない。あめがふらず、はたけのやさいがそだたない。Since it hasn't rained, the vegetables in the field aren't growing.
- おかしくて、思わず笑ってしまった。おかしくて、おもわずわらってしまった。It was so funny I couldn't help laughing.
ずに, ないで, なくて
ずに = ないで: “without doing”, or “instead of doing”. なくて, on the other hand, gives a cause: 食べなくて、おなかがすいた (“since I didn't eat, I'm hungry”). You can't say 食べなくて出かけた.
| Form | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 〜ないで | without (everyday) | 食べないで出かけた |
| 〜ずに | without (more written, careful) | 食べずに出かけた |
| 〜なくて | since… not (cause) | 食べなくて、おなかがすいた |
| 〜ず、 | without / cause (written) | 何も言わず、帰った |
Common mistakes
- Saying しずに: the form of する is せずに (勉強せずに).
- Using なくて for “without”: 食べなくて出かけた is wrong; it's 食べずに or 食べないで.
- Adding ない before ず: ずに replaces ない, it isn't added to it (食べずに, not 食べないずに).
7 exercises on this point
Particles to choose, sentences to put back in order, translations: marked straight away, then reviewed at the right time. This JLPT N3 point is on the Uji Line (Feelings) of the Kyoto lines.