まま means “as it is,” “unchanged,” or “with … still …”. It describes a state that stays the same while something else happens: 電気をつけたまま寝てしまいました — “I fell asleep with the light still on.”
English handles this with “with,” “still,” “left,” or “as is,” depending on the sentence. Japanese uses one word for all of them, and the core idea is always the same: a state is left exactly as it was, and usually it should have changed but didn’t.
〜たまま = the result of an action stays in place while the next thing happens. The light was switched on, and it stayed on while you slept.
What does まま mean?
まま is a noun meaning “the unchanged state.” Attached to a word or clause, it says “in the state of X, without changing it.”
- 靴をはいたまま入らないでください。 — Please don’t come in with your shoes on.
- 部屋は昔のままです。 — The room is just as it was years ago.
- このまま待ってください。 — Please wait like this (don’t move / don’t change anything).
The most common N4 form is verb た-form + まま. The た-form marks an action that has already happened — putting shoes on, turning the light on, opening a window — and まま says its result was not undone before the next action.
How to form まま
まま is a noun, so it follows the same rules as any noun-modifying clause.
| Type | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb (past) | た-form + まま | 開けたまま、座ったまま |
| Verb (negative) | ない-form + まま | 言わないまま、使わないまま |
| Noun | Noun + の + まま | 昔のまま、制服のまま |
| い-adjective | plain + まま | 若いまま、熱いまま |
| な-adjective | な + まま | きれいなまま、元気なまま |
| Demonstrative | この／その／あのまま | このまま、そのまま |
Three endings are worth knowing:
- 〜まま、V or 〜ままで、V — a state continues while you do V. Both are fine; で is slightly more common in speech.
- 〜ままだ／ままです — the state is still the same now: ドアが開いたままだ, “The door’s been left open.”
- 〜ままにする — leave something as it is on purpose: そのままにしてください, “Please leave it as it is.”
When is まま used?
- Something left undone, often by accident: 窓を開けたまま出かけた. The speaker usually sees this as careless.
- Manners and rules: 靴をはいたまま, 帽子をかぶったまま — typical in signs and instructions about what not to do.
- Things that haven’t changed over time: 昔のまま, 子どものころのまま.
- “As is” instructions: そのままでいいですよ — “It’s fine as it is,” e.g. when a shop assistant tells you not to bother removing something.
まま is neutral. It is equally at home in casual speech (つけたまま寝ちゃった) and polite notices (靴のままお入りください).
まま example sentences
電気をつけたまま寝てしまいました。
I fell asleep with the light still on.
靴はそのままでいいですよ。
You can keep your shoes on.
窓を開けたまま出かけてしまった。
I went out and left the window open.
祖父の家は、昔のままだ。
My grandfather’s house is exactly the way it used to be.
この野菜は生のままで食べられます。
You can eat this vegetable raw.
彼は何も言わないまま、帰ってしまった。
He left without saying a word.
In the first and third examples, まま combines with てしまう. That pairing is very common: まま sets up the careless state, and てしまう adds the regret.
Nuance of まま
まま is about a state that should normally change but doesn’t. People take their shoes off when they enter a Japanese home, turn the light off before sleeping, close the window before leaving. まま points out that the usual change never happened. That is why so many まま sentences sound like confessions or warnings.
It also explains why まま needs the た-form with action verbs. The action has to be finished for there to be a resulting state: you can only leave a light “on” once you have turned it on. The dictionary form or ている does not create that finished state.
With nouns and adjectives, the focus shifts to preserving something: 若いままでいたい — “I want to stay young,” 元気なままで — “stay healthy just as you are.” Here the unchanged state is a good thing.
このまま vs そのまま: このまま is “like this” (the state you are in now). そのまま is “as it is / as you have it” — often an instruction to leave something untouched.
まま vs ながら
Both can translate as “while” or “with,” which is why learners confuse them. They describe different things.
In the まま sentence the TV is simply on; nobody needs to be watching. In the ながら sentence, watching is an activity you were doing as you drifted off. Ask yourself: is it a state or an activity?
Common mistakes with まま
The window must already be open for its state to remain. Action verbs take the た-form before まま.
はきながら means “while putting your shoes on.” Wearing them is a state, so use はいたまま.
まま is a noun, so another noun connects with の.
Is まま on the JLPT?
Yes. まま is standard N4 grammar. The test focuses on the form before it (たまま vs るまま) and on telling it apart from ながら. Listening passages often use そのまま and このまま in instructions.
At N4 you should be able to:
- Attach まま to the た-form, to nouns with の, and to adjectives
- Choose まま for a remaining state and ながら for two simultaneous actions
- Understand そのままでいいです and このまま待ってください
A typical grammar item: めがねを（ ）まま、顔を洗ってしまった。 The options will include かける, かけた, and かけて; only かけた works.
Practice questions for まま
Show answer
エアコンをつけたまま寝ました。 — I went to bed with the air conditioner on.
Show answer
音楽を聞きながら勉強します。 — I study while listening to music. (Two activities at once.)
Show answer
コートはそのままでいいですよ。 — You can keep your coat on.
Show answer
帽子をかぶったまま、教室に入った。 — I walked into the classroom with my hat still on.
Learning path for まま
Related grammar to review next
- ながら — two simultaneous activities, where まま is one lasting state.
- てしまう — adds regret to a まま sentence about something left undone.
- ておく — そのままにしておく means leaving something as it is on purpose.
- っぱなし — the N3 cousin of たまま, with a clearly critical tone.
Learn まま with Hane
Hane contrasts たまま and ながら in everyday scenes, so you can tell a lasting state from an ongoing activity at a glance. Practise N4 grammar in Hane.
FAQ about まま
What does まま (mama) mean in Japanese?
まま (mama) means “as it is; without changing”. It is JLPT N4 grammar. まま is a noun meaning “the unchanged state.” Attached to a word or clause, it says “in the state of X, without changing it.
How do you form まま (mama)?
まま is a noun, so it follows the same rules as any noun-modifying clause.
What is the difference between まま and ながら?
まま: a state left in place. ながら: two actions at once.
What is an example sentence with まま (mama)?
電気をつけたまま寝てしまいました。 — I fell asleep with the light still on.