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JLPT N4Verb Forms

ないで— Without doing / Instead of doing

Expresses doing something WITHOUT performing another action. Can also be used as a soft negative request ("please don't do"). Different from なくて which states a reason/cause.

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Pro lessonUNIT 38 · VERB FORMS

Structure · 形

[Verb nai-form] + で

Examples · 例文

  • 朝ごはんを食べないで学校に行った。

    Asagohan wo tabenaide gakkou ni itta.

    I went to school without eating breakfast.

    食べないで (without eating) + 行った

  • 辞書を使わないで、問題を解いてください。

    Jisho wo tsukawanaide, mondai wo toite kudasai.

    Please solve the problem without using a dictionary.

    使わないで (without using)

  • 電気をつけないでください。

    Denki wo tsukenaide kudasai.

    Please don't turn on the lights.

    ないでください = please don't (soft negative request)

Usage notes · 注意

  • ないで vs なくて: ないで = without doing / instead;
  • Detail: なくて = because not doing (reason/cause).
  • Nuance: 食べないで行った (went without eating) vs 食べなくて困った (was troubled because I didn't eat).
  • Detail: ないでください = please don't (request);
  • Summary: てはいけない = must not (stronger prohibition).

Commonly confused with

The JLPT rarely asks whether you recognise a pattern — it asks which of several similar patterns fits. These are the ones ないで is tested against.

vsなくて

なくて states a cause/reason ('because ... not') and links states; ないで means doing something 'without' another action, or a soft 'please don't'.

vsずに

ずに is the formal/written equivalent of ないで ('without doing'); note する becomes せずに, not しないで, in that register.

More verb forms

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