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〜ないで

without doing, instead of doing

Verb ない-form + で

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ない-form + で means "without doing" or "instead of doing": 朝ご飯を食べないで学校に行きました, "I went to school without eating breakfast".

It's the negative partner of the て-form that joins actions: 食べて行った (ate, then went) vs 食べないで行った (went without eating).

It's the same ないで as in ないでください ("please don't"), which is really "please (go on) without doing".

Don't mix it up with なくて, which gives a reason: 分からなくて困った, "I didn't understand, so I was stuck". A rough test: if English says "without", it's ないで.

Examples

  • 朝あさご飯はんを食たべないで学校がっこうに行いきました。

    I went to school without eating breakfast.

  • 傘かさを持もたないで出でかけた。

    I went out without an umbrella.

  • 辞書じしょを使つかわないで読よんでみてください。

    Try reading it without using a dictionary.

  • 昨日きのうは寝ねないで勉強べんきょうしました。

    Yesterday I studied all night without sleeping.

  • 電車でんしゃに乗のらないで、歩あるいて帰かえりました。

    Instead of taking the train, I walked home.

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