Grammar Info

N3 Lesson 8: 19/23

ずにWithout doing

に can be omitted

Structure

Verb［ない］+ ず(に)

Exceptions:
する ￫ せず(に)

Details

  • Formal

About ずに

Although it is not considered to be one of the primary 18 auxiliary verbs that are used in modern Japanese, ず is a classical auxiliary verb that has the same role as ぬ, and ない. This role is negating the verb that it is attached to. ずに is simply the addition of the case marking particle に to ず. Together, they mean 'without doing', in a similar way to ないで.

To use ずに, attach it to the indeterminate form of the verb that you wish to express as 'without doing (A)'. This is the same form used with ない.

ずに is quite a bit more formal than ないで, but still frequently used in modern Japanese. Especially as part of set phrases, like ずにすむ (which we will learn about in another lesson).

Caution

When used with a する verb, する will become せずに, not しずに. Both せ and し are indeterminate forms of する. し, the more common form that is used in east Japan appears with ない.

Related

Examples

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  • 忘(わす)れずに届(とど)けてくれてありがとうございます。

    Thank you for notifying me (without forgetting).

  • 何(なに)も知(し)らずにあんなこと言(い)ってごめんなさい。

    Sorry for saying those things without knowing the full story.

  • 悩(なや)まずに生(い)きるなんて不可能(ふかのう)なのかもしれない。

    It might not be possible to live without worrying.

  • 値段(ねだん)を見(み)ずに買(か)ったら大変(たいへん)なことになった。

    I bought it without checking the price and now I am in a bind.

  • 彼(かれ)は朝(あさ)ごはんを食(た)べずに仕事(しごと)に行(い)きました。

    He left for work without eating breakfast.

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ずに – Grammar Discussion

Most Recent Replies (18 in total)

  • IcyIceBear

    IcyIceBear

    Because of the comma it’s not needed

  • Chensoman420

    Chensoman420

    The page for this grammar point has it registered as “Formal”, but I’ve heard it quite often in casual spoken conversation by native Japanese speakers. When I asked them, one of my native Japanese friends was confused by the notion of this being considered formal language, and said that it’s just casual.

    Is it possible that it is originally formal / classical Japanese, but younger generations have started using it in spoken conversation? For further context, the friend I asked is in their early 20s

  • BreadmanNin

    BreadmanNin

    I came here to ask exactly the same as @Chensoman420 above. I’m coming across this grammar structure very often, in dialogue that doesn’t come across to me as formal. Normal conversations among friends and such.

    I was wondering, if it really is formal, is there an alternative word/structure to convey same meaning without sounding formal?

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