GRAMMAR DETAIL

まま

while still · with ... left as is

Indicates that a state remains unchanged while another action or situation continues.

Examples

窓を開けたまま眠ってしまった。

I fell asleep with the window left open.

電気をつけたまま、部屋を出てはいけない。

You must not leave the room with the light still on.

Structure: Use まま after forms such as a verb's た or ない form or a noun followed by の to express an unchanged state.
Basic usage: 窓を開けたまま眠ってしまった。 describes falling asleep while leaving the window open.

Repeating an action and maintaining a state
- 窓を開けたまま寝る describes sleeping with the window open, not continuing to open it. Its focus differs from a simultaneous activity such as 音楽を聞きながら寝る.
Positive and negative states
- 靴を履いたまま means with shoes on, while 靴を履かないまま means without having put them on. A noun takes の, as in 靴のまま.