GRAMMAR DETAIL
〜ずに
Indicates doing the following action without first doing the preceding action.
Examples
寝坊したので朝食を取らずに家を出た。
I overslept, so I left home without eating breakfast.
Words used
何も言わずに部屋を出た。
I left the room without saying anything.
Words used
Study notes
1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning
- Structure: Replace
ないin a verb's nai-form withずにto describe doing another action without performing that one. - Basic usage:
寝坊したので朝食を取らずに家を出た。describes leaving home without having breakfast.
2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions
- The exception for suru
するbecomesせずに, notしずに.確認せずに送るmeans sending without checking.
- Omission versus inability
見ずに答えたmeans answering without looking, while見られずに困ったdescribes difficulty caused by being unable to see. Whether the negative attaches to a potential form distinguishes an omitted action from one that was not possible.