Grammar Info

N3 Lesson 5: 1/22

ままに (As Is)As is, While remaining, Left in a state

Occasionally written as まんま

Structure

Verb[た](1) + まま
[い]Adjective + まま
[な]Adjective + + まま
Noun + + まま

(1) Verb[ない]

Details

  • Standard

  • Rare Kanji

    儘・侭

About まま(に)

まま, coming from the kanji (まま), which means 'as it is', is a noun in Japanese that is used for describing the 'unchanged state' of something. This expression may be translated as 'while remaining (A)', 'as (A) is', or 'left in the state of (A)'. It can be used after any word in its attributive form. However, when used with verbs, it has a tendency to be used with the た (past) form most frequently.

まま often expresses that something should be left alone, or undisturbed. This is generally seen with verbs in the ない form.

Caution

While まま may be followed by the case marking particle , it is very often omitted. When it appears, however, it will place extra emphasis on the next verb in the sentence.

Fun Fact

まま may sometimes be pronounced as まんま. However, this variation is primarily only used in casual speech, or writing that is being made to sound like casual speech.

Synonyms



Vocab Coverage

All Bunpro Vocab that appears on this item.

Examples

--:--

  • コートを()たままだと(すこ)(あつ)いです。

    I feel a little hot keeping this jacket on.

  • 昨日(きのう)(まど)()けたまま()た。

    Last night I slept with the windows left open.

  • 生徒(せいと)(こた)えられなくて、(だま)ったままでした。

    The student couldn't answer and stayed quiet.

  • このまま()くと図書館(としょかん)()えます。

    If you stay on this course, you will be able to see the library.

  • ありのまま(きみ)()きだ。

    I like you, just as you are.

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      まま(に) – Grammar Discussion

      Most Recent Replies (11 in total)

      • casual

        casual

        I would hazard a guess that このまま (このまま – Vocabulary details – jpdb ) is just an expression that is never followed by に. At least an online search for “このままに” gives very few results.

      • Newkidi

        Newkidi

        Hey, i appreciate everything bunpro is doing however i have a suggestion and question. For future grammar points or maybe revising them to, please, please include in the fun fact section if something is added to the grammar point that’s not covered. Example is まま i see it as Verb たまま and that’s great but then some examples include the ままにする and its variants that are no explanation about what this にする is doing here, yes ik it means to make" but for example we have a example that’s good and s covered by the Page: 夕食を食べないまま寝たら、お腹が空いて3時ぐらいに起きてしまった。(Because I slept without eating dinner, I woke up around 3 am from hunger.) then we have one where にする is mentioned with no explanation about what it does here like could be “hey normally this means to make x or this is the to make x usage and here it means…” but there’s nothing which makes it frustrating. an example: 扇風機を点けたままにして家を出る。 and 扇風機を点けたまま家を出る。Both mean i leave my house with my fan turned on. What’s the difference what exactly is th...

      • mob

        mob

        まま alone describes a state that persists incidentally as a background condition while something else happens. The speaker has no direct connection with the state, so it’s just the circumstance under which the main action occurs.

        まま+にする (or にしておく, にした, etc.) deliberately frames the state as something being actively maintained, chosen, or left in place (which is the same function にする always has, it cant just change it’s meaning lol). so the まま-state acts as a target condition that is being set, kept, or permitted to continue.

        grammar entry まま from JLPT文法解説まとめ in japanese: 「同じ状態が変わらずに続くことを表す。」

        grammar entry ままにする from 毎日のんびり日本語教師 in japanese: 「ある状態を維持しておくことを表します。」

        hope that helps

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