ないで
🃏 Flashcard
ないで
naide
Tap to reveal usage
without doing~ ; To do [B] without doing [A]
N5
Tap to test your recall · +10 XP
📊 Pattern Stats
JLPT Level
N5
Beginner · Basic sentence structures
Reading
naide
Post ID
50639
Patterns today
0
0 / 10 daily goal
📝 Usage Notes
without doing~ ; To do [B] without doing [A]
📖 How to use it
Expresses doing an action without doing another action first.
Attaches to
Attach to the negative ない-form of a verb (i.e., replace ない with ないで). For example, 食べないで, 行かないで, しないで.
This pattern is used when you want to say that you do something (B) without doing something else (A). It connects two actions or states, where the first action is not performed. The verb before ないで is in its plain negative form, but with で instead of ない. So 朝ごはんを食べないで学校へ行きます means you go to school without eating breakfast. It is a common everyday expression, used in both speaking and writing. Note that if the second part is a request or command, it can also mean 'please don't do ~', but that is a different usage. Here we focus on the 'without doing' meaning.
朝ごはんを食べないで学校へ行きました。
Asagohan o tabenaide gakkou e ikimashita.
I went to school without eating breakfast.
宿題をしないで寝ました。
Shukudai o shinaide nemashita.
I went to bed without doing my homework.
傘を持たないで出かけました。
Kasa o motanaide dekakemashita.
I went out without taking an umbrella.
Not ないでください
ないでください is a request meaning 'please don't do ~', whereas ないで alone expresses 'without doing' when followed by another action. For example, 食べないでください means 'Please don't eat', but 食べないで寝ました means 'I slept without eating'.
Register
Neutral and common in both spoken and written Japanese.
🎯 Quick Quiz
What does this grammar pattern mean or do?
ないで
📚 How to Master This Pattern
Say It Aloud
Press Hear it and repeat ないで three times. Feel the rhythm — grammar patterns have a natural flow.
Flip Before Reading
Always try to recall the usage before flipping the card. Struggle = learning. Every failed recall makes the next one stick harder.
Write Two Sentences
Compose two original sentences using ないで. One about yourself, one about something you see right now.
Spaced Review
Save this pattern and revisit at 10 min, 1 day, 3 days. Production (writing) beats recognition for grammar.
🔗 More JLPT N5 Patterns
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なあ
sentence ending particle; confirmation; admiration, etc
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ないでください
please don't do
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What does the grammar pattern ないで mean?
▼
Without doing~ ; To do [B] without doing [A]
What JLPT level is ないで?
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Nihoner currently groups this pattern under JLPT N5 — Beginner · Basic sentence structures. Use the level label as study guidance rather than a prediction of what will appear on an exam.
How do you use ないで in a sentence?
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Attach ないで (naide) to the appropriate verb or noun form as described in the usage notes. Then try writing two original sentences — one about yourself and one about something around you.
Is ないで formal or casual Japanese?
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ないで is used in both casual and polite contexts. It appears frequently in everyday conversation, textbooks, and simple written materials.
How can I remember ないで long-term?
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Use the flashcard on this page for active recall — see the pattern, reconstruct the usage from memory, then flip. Follow with the 4-choice quiz to distinguish it from similar patterns. Review later the same day and again over the following days. Writing original sentences can help you practise using the pattern in context.