As it is, unchanged: 〜まま
Verb-た／ない + まま; adj; noun + の まま
Verb-た／ない + まま (noun + の まま): the state stays as it is while something else happens, often abnormally. この まま = like this.
In short
まま says a state stays as it is while something else happens: you keep your shoes on, you leave the window open, you don't change anything. Often the situation isn't normal (an oversight, carelessness): 靴を はいた まま 家に 入った.
- 靴を はいた まま 家に 入らないで ください。くつを はいた まま いえに はいらないで ください。Please don't come into the house with your shoes on.
- 電気を つけた まま 寝て しまった。でんきを つけた まま ねて しまった。I fell asleep with the light on.
- この ままで いいです。この ままで いいです。It's fine as it is — don't change anything.
The basics
まま means “the state as it is”. First you describe a state (usually in the た-form), then what you do without changing it. The state “carries on” during the second action — English “with… still…”, “leaving… on/open”.
Very often, the sentence points to something abnormal: you should have taken your shoes off, turned off the light, shut the window.
He came into the house with his shoes on.
- noun
- verb
- grammatical form
- 窓を 開けた まま 出かけて しまった。まどを あけた まま でかけて しまった。I went out and left the window open.
- 立った まま ご飯を 食べるのは よく ないよ。たった まま ごはんを たべるのは よく ないよ。It's not good to eat standing up.
How to form it
With a verb, you almost always use the た-form (the action is done, its result remains) or the ない-form (nothing was done). With a noun: の まま; with a な-adjective: な まま; with an い-adjective: directly. この まま / その まま: “like this, as it is”.
| Word | Form | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| verb (done) | 〜た まま | 開けた まま | left open |
| verb (not done) | 〜ない まま | 言わない まま | without saying anything |
| noun | N の まま | 生の まま | raw, as it is |
| な-adj | 〜な まま | 静かな まま | stayed quiet |
| い-adj | 〜い まま | 若い まま | stayed young |
| demonstrative | この まま／その まま | その まま | as it is |
- 大阪の この 町は 昔の ままです。おおさかの この まちは むかしの ままです。This part of Osaka is just as it was in the old days.
- その ままで ちょっと 待って いて ください。その ままで ちょっと まって いて ください。Stay as you are and wait a moment, please.
まま, ておく, ながら: don't mix them up
〜ておく says you deliberately leave something as it is, for a reason. まま simply observes that the state hasn't changed, often through carelessness. 〜ながら (N5) links two actions done at the same time; まま links a frozen state and an action.
| Phrase | Nuance |
|---|---|
| 窓を 開けて おいた | I left it open on purpose (to air the room) |
| 窓を 開けた まま 出かけた | I went out without closing it (oversight) |
| テレビを 見ながら 食べる | two actions at the same time |
| テレビを つけた まま 食べる | the TV stays on while I eat |
- 部屋の 電気を つけて おいて ください。へやの でんきを つけて おいて ください。Leave the light on in the room (on purpose).
- 部屋の 電気を つけた まま 寝て しまった。へやの でんきを つけた まま ねて しまった。I fell asleep with the light on in the room (by accident).
Common mistakes
- Using the dictionary form: “靴を はく まま” is wrong; the state comes from a completed action: はいた まま.
- Mixing it up with ながら: まま isn't “while doing”, it's “leaving as it is”.
- Forgetting の after a noun: 生の まま, 昔の まま.
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 N4 point is on the Imazatosuji Line (Family and neighbours) of the Osaka subway.