〜っぱなし: Leaving Something As Is (Often Carelessly)
The meaning it lays on the verb
〜っぱなし comes from the verb 放す (はなす, "to release / let go of"). Attached to a verb, it takes the plain action and freezes it in place: whatever you did, it stays that way, and nobody has undone it.
That "let go and never picked it back up" image splits into two senses, and which one you land on depends on the verb:
- Left in a state (often careless). You did something — opened, turned on, left running — and never reversed it. This usually sounds negligent: you should have closed it, turned it off, put it away.
- Kept happening nonstop. An action or state continued without a break — standing, losing, raining.
ヤッタンは窓を開けっぱなしにして出かけた。
ヤッタンは まどを あけっぱなしに して でかけた。
Yattan left the window open and went out.
Sense 1 — careless: the window should have been shut.
Which verbs it pairs with
Take the verb's ます-stem (the same stem you use for 〜ます) and add っぱなし:
| Verb (dictionary) | ます-stem | + っぱなし |
|---|---|---|
| 開ける (open) | 開け | 開けっぱなし |
| つける (turn on) | つけ | つけっぱなし |
| 出す (put out / let run) | 出し | 出しっぱなし |
| 立つ (stand) | 立ち | 立ちっぱなし |
| 負ける (lose) | 負け | 負けっぱなし |
The verb group you pick also fixes the sense: transitive "set-and-leave" verbs (開ける, つける, 出す) give the careless left-as-is reading, while intransitive continuous verbs (立つ, 降る, 負ける) give the nonstop reading. Let the verb guide you.
Once formed, っぱなし behaves like a noun, so it slots into normal noun patterns:
- 〜っぱなしだ — predicate: 一日中、歩きっぱなしだ。
- 〜っぱなしにする — deliberately leave it that way: 電気をつけっぱなしにする。
- 〜っぱなしの + noun — modifies a noun: 出しっぱなしの水 ("water left running").
- 〜っぱなしで — "while left that way": 窓を開けっぱなしで寝た。
先生に、エアコンをつけっぱなしにしないよう注意された。
せんせいに、エアコンを つけっぱなしに しないよう ちゅういされた。
The teacher warned me not to leave the air conditioner on.
〜っぱなしにする in a negative request — the careless nuance is front and center.
In use
電車が混んでいて、一時間立ちっぱなしだった。
でんしゃが こんでいて、いちじかん たちっぱなしだった。
The train was packed, so I was standing the whole hour.
Sense 2 — the standing never stopped.
弟は水を出しっぱなしで歯を磨いている。
おとうとは みずを だしっぱなしで はを みがいている。
My little brother brushes his teeth with the water running.
Sense 1 — wasteful, should be turned off.
昨日のチームは負けっぱなしで、一点も取れなかった。
きのうの チームは まけっぱなしで、いってんも とれなかった。
Yesterday's team kept losing and couldn't score a single point.
Sense 2 — a continuous run of losing.
How it differs from 〜たまま
Both 〜っぱなし and 〜たまま can describe "leaving something in a state," so learners mix them up. The difference is tone:
- 〜たまま is neutral — it simply says a state continued unchanged: ドアを開けたままにする just reports the door stayed open.
- 〜っぱなし adds a judgment: the thing was left undone when it should have been undone — carelessness, waste, or neglect. 電気をつけっぱなし sounds like a complaint.
So when a parent scolds a child, they reach for っぱなし. When you neutrally explain "I keep it open for ventilation," たまま fits better. Note two more splits: 〜たまま works with some adjectives and the copula, while 〜っぱなし only attaches to verbs — so if you need to leave an adjective-described state unchanged (暑いまま), reach for たまま. And っぱなし must carry that noun-like tail: 立ちっぱなしだ needs its だ / にする / の, never っぱなし standing alone as a bare verb.
The short version
- 〜っぱなし = ます-stem + っぱなし, from 放す.
- Sense 1: left in a state, usually carelessly (should have undone it).
- Sense 2: something keeps happening nonstop.
- Patterns: 〜っぱなしだ / 〜っぱなしにする / 〜っぱなしの + noun / 〜っぱなしで.
- vs 〜たまま: たまま is neutral; っぱなし adds a careless / negligent nuance.
Practice it
Choose the correct っぱなし form and sense.
＿＿＿に入れるのに最もよいものを選びなさい。
一日中立ち＿＿＿だったのでくたくただ。
Frequently asked questions
What does 〜っぱなし mean?
It means either (1) leaving something in a state without undoing it, usually carelessly — like leaving a window open or a light on — or (2) something happening nonstop, like standing the whole day. It comes from the verb 放す ('to let go').
How do I form 〜っぱなし?
Take the verb's ます-stem and add っぱなし: 開ける → 開けっぱなし, 立つ → 立ちっぱなし. It then behaves like a noun, so you add だ, にする, の, or で.
What's the difference between 〜っぱなし and 〜たまま?
〜たまま neutrally reports that a state stayed unchanged. 〜っぱなし adds a critical nuance — the thing was left undone when it should have been undone (carelessness or waste). Use たまま when there's no blame.
Can 〜っぱなし attach to adjectives?
No. It only attaches to verb ます-stems. If you need to leave an adjective-described state unchanged, use 〜たまま instead (例: 暑いまま).
Where 〜っぱなし fits
Shaky on this? Get these solid first
- 〜ます · N5 — 〜ます is the polite verb ending. Learn ます (non-past), ません (negative), ました (past), and ませんでした (past negative), how to build the stem, and when to be polite.
Don't confuse it with
- 〜まま · N3 — 〜まま means a state stays unchanged while something else happens: 電気をつけたまま寝た ('slept with the light on'). Learn た/ない/noun/adjective forms and そのまま.
- 〜ずに · N3 — 〜ずに means doing one thing without doing another: 食べずに ('without eating'). Learn the formation, the irregular せずに, and how it differs from 〜ないで and 〜なくて.
More N3 grammar to explore
Keep going with related patterns at the same level:
- 〜っぽい — 〜っぽい adds a '-ish/-like' nuance: 子供っぽい (childish), 忘れっぽい (forgetful), 安っぽい (looks cheap). Learn the noun and verb-stem patterns, the い-adjective conjugation, and the critical tone.
- 〜最中に — 〜最中に marks the very thick of an ongoing action — often when it's interrupted: 食事の最中に電話が鳴った. Learn the noun+の and 〜ている patterns, plus how it differs from 〜ているところ and 〜間に.
- 確かに — 確かに (たしかに) means 'certainly / indeed.' Learn its two uses — affirming a point and the concessive 確かに〜が ('it's true that X, but…') — plus how it differs from 確か.
- たとえば — たとえば (例えば) means 'for example.' Learn how it introduces a concrete example of a general statement, the たとえば〜など pattern, and why it's not the same as たとえ (even if).
- 〜てこそ — 〜てこそ marks an action as the indispensable basis for a good result: 努力してこそ成功する ('only by trying hard do you succeed'). Learn the formation, nuance, and pitfalls.
- 〜てみせる — 〜てみせる has two senses: demonstrating something by actually doing it, and a strong vow ('I'll do it, just watch'). Learn formation, both meanings, and てみる vs てみせる.