無Linking sentences
Without doing
Two negative forms that join sentences: ~ないで for “without doing”, and ~なくて for “not, so…”.
The core contrast
Instead of, or because of
I went to the station without taking an umbrella.
ないで: skip something and do something else.
The bus didn't come, so I was stuck.
なくて: the negative causes something.
Forms
Start with the negative
~ないで is only for verbs. Adjectives and nouns use ~なくて.
| Negative | ~ないで | ~なくて |
|---|---|---|
| 行かない | 行かないで | 行かなくて |
| 食べない | 食べないで | 食べなくて |
| しない | しないで | しなくて |
| 高くない | 高くなくて | |
| 学生じゃない | 学生じゃなくて |
~ないで
Common uses
I walked without looking at a map.
Please don't swim here.
Also the base for “please don't”.
Instead of going out today, I'll stay home.
~なくて
Common uses
I don't have the money, so I can't buy it.
I don't understand the meaning, and it's a problem.
This isn't a dog, it's a cat.
X じゃなくて Y: not X but Y.
It's OK even if there's no time.
~なくても means “even if not”.
Formal writing
~ずに means the same as ~ないで
In more formal Japanese, ~ずに replaces ~ないで when joining actions: 朝ご飯を食べずに行きました. It attaches to the same base as ない (食べ, 行か), and する becomes せずに. It can't go before ください.
Check yourself
What's the relationship?
Your turn
ないで or なくて?
I studied without sleeping.
Say it yourself
Rough morning
You're explaining your day. You left without eating breakfast, and your train didn't come, which was a pain.
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