ないで connects two actions and says that the first one does not happen: “I went to school without eating breakfast.” It is built from the plain negative (ない) plus で, and it also shows up at the end of a sentence as a casual “don’t!”
Verb-ないで + main action = “do the main action without doing the first one.” The first verb is skipped; the second one really happens.
What does ないで mean?
ないで has two closely related meanings in N5 Japanese.
1. Without doing A. The main action happens, and ないで tells you what was missing while it happened. 辞書を見ないで読みました — “I read it without looking at a dictionary.”
2. Instead of doing A. When the two actions are alternatives, ないで means you chose B over A. バスに乗らないで、歩いて帰りました — “I walked home instead of taking the bus.”
In both cases the subject of the two verbs is the same person. You are describing how someone did something, or which option they chose.
A third use sits at the end of a sentence. 行かないで! means “Don’t go!” This is a short, casual version of ないでください (“please don’t”). You’ll hear it between friends and family, often with a pleading tone.
How to form ないで
Take the plain negative form of a verb (the ない-form) and add で.
Quick reminders for the ない-form:
- る-verbs: drop る, add ない (食べる → 食べない, 見る → 見ない)
- う-verbs: change the final u-sound to a-sound, add ない (書く → 書かない, 飲む → 飲まない). Verbs ending in う use わ: 買う → 買わない.
- Irregular: する → しない, 来る → 来ない (read こない)
ないで always uses the plain negative, even in a polite sentence. The politeness goes on the final verb: 見ないで答えてください, never 見ませんで.
When is ないで used?
Use ないで when you want to:
- say something was skipped: 朝ご飯を食べないで出かけた
- describe how an action was done: 砂糖を入れないで飲む (drink it without sugar)
- give test or classroom instructions: 教科書を見ないで書いてください
- say which option you chose: タクシーに乗らないで、歩いた
- casually beg someone not to do something: 笑わないで! (“Don’t laugh!”)
ないで itself is neutral. The formality of the whole sentence depends on the final verb: 行きました is polite, 行った is casual.
ないで example sentences
朝ご飯を食べないで学校へ行きました。
I went to school without eating breakfast.
辞書を見ないで答えてください。
Please answer without looking at a dictionary.
昨日は寝ないで勉強しました。
Yesterday I studied without sleeping.
彼は何も言わないで帰りました。
He went home without saying anything.
私はいつも砂糖を入れないでコーヒーを飲みます。
I always drink my coffee without sugar.
バスに乗らないで、歩いて帰りました。
I walked home instead of taking the bus.
まだ行かないで。
Don’t go yet.
Example 4 uses 何も with a negative verb, which is how Japanese says “(not) anything.” 何も言わないで is a very common chunk meaning “without saying a word.” In example 6, the comma after ないで is optional but common when the two actions are clear alternatives.
Nuance of ないで
The core nuance is manner or choice, not cause. ないで answers “How did you do it?” or “What did you do instead?” It does not answer “Why?”
That is the line between ないで and なくて. 食べないで行った means you went without eating: going is what you did, and not eating describes how you went. 食べなくて、お腹がすいた means you didn’t eat, so you got hungry. The second clause is a result, not a second action by choice.
Also note that the ないで action is usually something you could have done but didn’t. 傘を持たないで出かけた implies that taking an umbrella was a normal option. This makes ないで good for talking about small surprises and mistakes.
Test yourself: Replace ないで with “without ~ing” in English. If the sentence still makes sense, ないで is right. If you need “because not” or “not…and so,” you want なくて.
ないで vs なくて
Both are made from the ない-form, and both can link to a second clause. They are not interchangeable.
A good hint: if the second clause describes a feeling (困った, 残念だ) or something that happened to you, it is almost always なくて. If it is a deliberate action, it is usually ないで. Both also appear in fixed patterns: ないでください (please don’t) and なくてもいい (you don’t have to).
Common mistakes with ないで
Is ないで on the JLPT?
Yes. ないで is N5 grammar and appears in grammar questions, reading passages, and test-style instructions.
Expect choices like 食べないで / 食べなくて / 食べて / 食べずに in the same question. Check whether the second clause is a deliberate action by the same person. At N5 you won’t need ずに, but it is the written equivalent of ないで, so don’t be confused if you see it in reading.
Practice questions for ないで
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傘を持たないで出かけました。 — I went out without taking an umbrella.
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外で食べないで、家で料理をしました。 — I cooked at home instead of eating out.
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電話がつながらなくて、困りました。 — The call wouldn’t go through, and I was stuck.
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忘れないで! — Don’t forget!
Learning path for ないで
Related grammar to review next
- ないでください — the polite request form of the casual 行かないで.
- なくてもいい — uses the なくて shape to say something isn’t necessary.
- てから — the positive partner for ordering two actions, instead of skipping one.
- ずに — the written equivalent of ないで you will meet in reading passages.
Learn ないで with Hane
Hane has you build ないで and なくて sentences from the same verbs, so you feel the difference between “without” and “because not.” Start learning with Hane.
FAQ about ないで
What does ないで (naide) mean in Japanese?
ないで (naide) means “without doing”. It is JLPT N5 grammar. ないで has two closely related meanings in N5 Japanese.
How do you form ないで (naide)?
Take the plain negative form of a verb (the ない-form) and add で.
What is the difference between ないで and なくて?
ないで: without · instead of. なくて: because not · not…and.
What is an example sentence with ないで (naide)?
朝ご飯を食べないで学校へ行きました。 — I went to school without eating breakfast.