まま
- 1An action takes place while a previously established state stays as it is.Ex. 1
- 2With ままにする / ままになる, something is left as it is or stays in an unchanged state.Ex. 2
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A neutral pattern used in both speech and writing. It often describes a state that is unexpected or should have been changed, such as leaving a window open or sleeping with glasses on. Unlike ながら, which links two simultaneous actions, まま highlights that an existing state is left unchanged while something else happens. ままにする means leaving something as it is.
Do not attach まま to the dictionary form of an action verb to express a completed state; use the た形, as in 開けたまま.
Learners often use ながら for lasting states, but 眼鏡をかけたまま寝た describes an unchanged state, not two parallel actions.
Note that with nouns, の is required before まま, as in 昔のまま, and な-adjectives need な.
- ままにN2「ままに」 means acting in accordance with someone's request or one's own wishes, as in 「言われるままに」 or 「心のままに」. 「まま」 only expresses a state continuing unchanged, with no nuance of compliance — for 'going out with the window open,' only 「まま」 can be used.
- 〜たきりN3「たきり」 attaches only to the た-form of a verb and emphasizes that an expected follow-up never happened after doing something; the second clause is usually negative and carries a tone of surprise or regret. Unlike 「まま」, it cannot express doing another action while in a certain state.
- きりN3「たきり」 means 'ever since... never again,' with the second clause usually negative, as in 「出かけたきり帰らない」; it does not take ordinary affirmative actions and cannot be freely swapped with 「まま」. 「きり」 also has other meanings such as 'only' (「二人きり」), which 「まま」 lacks.
- ながらに / ながらのN1「ながらに／ながらの」 also expresses maintaining a state or keeping something as it is, but is limited to a few fixed expressions like 「涙ながらに」 and 「昔ながらの」, and leans literary. 「まま」 attaches freely and is stylistically neutral, so the two are generally not interchangeable.
- ながら / いながら / ながらもN3「ながら」 attaches to the ます-form and expresses the same subject doing two actions simultaneously (e.g., eating while walking); 「まま」 expresses a state remaining unchanged (going out with the window open), so they cannot be swapped. 「ながら(も)」 also has a concessive meaning of 'although... yet...'
Compared with まま, ままに means acting as something dictates or following it (言われるままに), which differs from まま + にする in 開けたままにする, where に belongs to にする, and 〜たきり／きり stresses that nothing followed after an action (出かけたきり帰らない). ながらに / ながらの is mostly limited to fixed expressions such as 生まれながらに, while ながら / ながらも links simultaneous actions or expresses concession rather than an unchanged state.
