Grammar Info

N1 Lesson 4: 4/17

れる・られる + ままにDo as (one is told or ordered…), In accordance with, In compliance with, Just like

Structure

Verb［られる］+ （が）+ まま + （に）

Details

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    Formal

  • Rare Kanji

    儘・侭

About れる・られる + ままに

When paired with まま, a noun meaning 'in the state of', and the case marking particle に, the auxiliary verbs れる and られる indicate something being done 'as one is told', or 'as ordered'. Because of this, れる and られる will almost always be paired with verbs that indicate some kind of communication.

As these structures are in the passive, the literal translation is close to 'to do (B) in the state that (A) was done to me'. The (B) part will come directly after ままに and simply states how someone is going to react in compliance with (A).

The conjunction particle が may appear between られる and ままに, but this is not common in modern Japanese. Although it does carry the meaning of 'but', the focus is more on expressing that the (A) is not being resisted or argued with when doing (B).

Caution

In this grammar pattern, られる will never appear in the past-tense form.

  • 先生(せんせい)に教(おし)えられたままに漢字(かんじ)を書(か)いた。
    I wrote kanji characters as my teacher taught me. (Unnatural Japanese)

Examples

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    きかれるままに、彼女(かのじょ)の住(す)んでいる場所(ばしょ)を教(おし)えた。

    I told him where she lives, just like I was asked.

    強盗(ごうとう)に要求(ようきゅう)されるまま、金(かね)をわたした。

    I handed over the money as demanded by the robber.

    ガイドに案内(あんない)されるまま、私(わたし)たちはパリ市内(しない)を観光(かんこう)した。

    We explored the city of Paris as guided by the guide.

    先生(せんせい)におしえられるままに、生徒(せいと)はその発音(はつおん)を繰(く)り返(かえ)した。

    The students repeated the pronunciation just like they were taught by the teacher.

    夫(おっと)は娘(むすめ)にせがまれるままに何(なん)でも買(か)い与(あた)えてしまう。

    In compliance with the pestering from our daughter, my husband will unfortunately buy her any gifts.

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れる・られる + ままに – Grammar Discussion

Most Recent Replies (1 in total)

  • wrt7MameLZE33wlmpCAV

    wrt7MameLZE33wlmpCAV

    For the example sentence

    苦い経験：「説明書に書かれているままにノートパソコンを組立て直したつもりだったけど、ネジが1本残っている。」

    Bitter experience: “I thought that I had reassembled the laptop as written in the instructions, but I ended up with one screw left over…”

    This one is the only example where ている used, and there’s no special explanation given in the grammar point. Is this stative usage, expressing the instructions were written (and remain in the state of being written)? I suppose you would use ている because the past tense isn’t used?

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