〜まま: 'As It Is' / Leaving a State Unchanged (N3 Grammar)
What it means
まま marks a state that continues unchanged while you do something else, or simply describes something left in a certain condition. Think of it as freezing one situation in place: you started it (or it already exists), you never undid it, and a second action happens on top of that unchanged state.
The most common form is verb (た-form) + まま — you did an action, and the resulting state lingers:
ヤッタンは電気をつけたまま寝てしまった。
ヤッタンは でんきを つけたまま ねて しまった。
Yattan fell asleep with the light left on.
つけた (turned on) + まま = the on-state was never undone.
モチは立ったままご飯を食べている。
モチは たったまま ごはんを たべて いる。
Mochi is eating while standing.
立った (stood up) + まま = stays in a standing state the whole time.
窓を開けたまま出かけてしまった。
まどを あけたまま でかけて しまった。
I went out with the window left open.
Notice the nuance: つけたまま is not "I turned on the light," it's "the light, left on." The action happened earlier; まま reports that nobody changed it back.
How to form it
まま attaches to several word types. The key is what comes directly before it:
| Attaches to | Pattern | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verb (た-form) | 〜た + まま | つけたまま | left turned on |
| Verb (ない-form) | 〜ない + まま | 食べないまま | without having eaten |
| Noun | Noun + の + まま | 昔のまま | the same as long ago |
| い-adjective | い-adj + まま | 若いまま | while still young |
| な-adjective | な-adj + な + まま | きれいなまま | while still clean/pretty |
| Demonstrative | その + まま | そのまま | as it is / leave it |
More examples
The ない + まま form means an expected action never happened before the next one — close to 〜ずに:
弟は朝ごはんを食べないまま学校へ行った。
おとうとは あさごはんを たべないまま がっこうへ いった。
My little brother went to school without eating breakfast.
ない + まま = the eating never happened.
Noun + の + まま says something is in the same state as before — unchanged from how it was:
この町は昔のままで、何も変わっていない。
この まちは むかしのままで、なにも かわって いない。
This town is just as it was long ago; nothing has changed.
Adjective + まま keeps a quality in place. い-adjectives attach directly; な-adjectives need な:
先生はいつまでも若いままですね。
せんせいは いつまでも わかいまま ですね。
Sensei stays young forever, doesn't she?
い-adjective 若い attaches with no extra word.
そのまま is a fixed, very useful expression — "as it is," "leave it like that," "stay where you are":
どうぞ、そのまま座っていてください。
どうぞ、そのまま すわって いて ください。
Please, stay seated just as you are.
〜ままに — "as one pleases / as directed"
A related form, 〜ままに, means doing something the way another force dictates — following someone's wishes or going along with the flow. It is more written/literary:
モチは心のままに絵を描いた。
モチは こころのままに えを かいた。
Mochi painted as her heart led her.
心のままに = following one's heart, freely.
You will also meet set phrases like 言われるままに ("just as one is told") and 気の向くままに ("as the mood takes one"). At N3, recognizing 〜ままに is enough; 〜たまま is the workhorse you should produce confidently.
Common mistakes
- Using the dictionary form before まま for a finished action. A state created by a completed action needs た: つける → つけたまま (✓), not つけるまま. The た is what tells us the action already happened and the state persists.
- Forgetting の after a noun. It is 昔のまま, 制服のまま — never 昔まま. Nouns always need の.
- Dropping な on な-adjectives. Say きれいなまま, 元気なまま. Only い-adjectives (若いまま) attach bare.
- Confusing ないまま with 〜ずに / 〜ないで. All three can mean "without doing," but ないまま stresses that a needed prior action was skipped and that lack persists; 〜ずに and 〜ないで simply describe the manner of the next action.
Quick recap
- 〜まま = a state stays unchanged while another action happens ("as it is," "still," "with X left that way").
- Verb た + まま for a lingering result (つけたまま); verb ない + まま for a skipped action (食べないまま).
- Noun + の + まま; い-adj + まま; な-adj + な + まま.
- そのまま = "as it is / leave it"; 〜ままに = "as one pleases / as directed" (more literary).
Your turn
Choose the correct まま form (た / ない / の / な).
Start the 5-question drill →Frequently asked questions
Why is it つけたまま and not つけるまま?
まま reports a state created by a completed action, so you need the た-form. つけた = 'turned on (and it stayed on)'. The dictionary form つける would wrongly suggest the action is still in progress or about to happen.
What's the difference between ないまま and ずに?
Both can translate as 'without doing.' ないまま emphasizes that an expected prior step was skipped and that gap continues (食べないまま出かけた = left while still not having eaten). ずに just describes how the next action is done (歩かずに行った = went without walking).
Do I always need の after a noun before まま?
Yes. Nouns connect with の: 昔のまま, 生のまま ('raw, as it is'), 制服のまま ('still in uniform'). Leaving out の is a common mistake.
What does そのまま mean on its own?
そのまま is a set phrase meaning 'as it is,' 'leave it like that,' or 'stay as you are': そのままにしておいて ('leave it the way it is').