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JLPT N3Expressions

～っぱなし— Left As It Is

Attaches to a verb stem to say something is left in a state after an action, often with a nuance of neglect or carelessness ('left the light on', 'left the door open'). It can also mean an action continues without pause ('standing the whole time'). Often carries mild criticism.

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Pro lessonUNIT 42 · EXPRESSIONS

Structure · 形

[Verb ます-stem] + っぱなし

Examples · 例文

  • 電気をつけっぱなしで寝てしまった。

    Denki o tsukeppanashi de nete shimatta.

    I fell asleep with the light left on.

    つけ (stem of つける) + っぱなし = left in the 'on' state, careless nuance

  • 窓を開けっぱなしにしないで。

    Mado o akeppanashi ni shinaide.

    Don't leave the window open.

    開け (stem of 開ける) + っぱなし = a lingering, neglected state

  • 電車が混んでいて、一時間立ちっぱなしだった。

    Densha ga konde ite, ichijikan tachippanashi datta.

    The train was crowded, so I stood the whole hour.

    立ち (stem of 立つ) + っぱなし = an action continuing without a break

Usage notes · 注意

  • Often implies negligence — something should have been undone but wasn't.
  • Derives from the verb 放す (to release / leave); its ます-stem 放し shifts to っぱなし with a small tsu and handakuten (は→ぱ).
  • Frequently used with ～にする ('leave it in that state') and ～だ.

Commonly confused with

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

vs～たまま

～たまま neutrally states an unchanged state; ～っぱなし usually adds a nuance of carelessness or neglect.

vs～ておく

～ておく means doing something on purpose in preparation; ～っぱなし means leaving something (often carelessly) without dealing with it.

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