〜まま
JLPT N4:as it is / still
Says a state stays as it is, often when you would expect it to change: "with…still…", "leaving it as it is".
How to form it
- Verbs take the た-form: 電気をつけたまま寝た (I fell asleep with the light on).
- Negatives take ないまま: 何も食べないまま (without eating anything).
- Nouns take の, い-adjectives stay as they are, and な-adjectives take な: 靴のまま, 若いまま, きれいなまま.
- そのまま means "as it is": そのままにしてください (please leave it as it is).
Examples
テレビをつけたまま寝てしまった。
I fell asleep with the TV on.
靴のまま入ってもいいです。
You can come in with your shoes on.
Common mistakes
- Using the dictionary form for a state left in place. Say つけたまま, not つけるまま.
Similar meaning
- 〜っぱなしleft on / the whole time
"Left ~ed", usually with criticism: 開けっぱなし.
Same form, different meaning
- 〜ままにjust as (told) / as one likes
ままに: "as (someone) says" or "as one likes".