ままに
- 1Going along with what someone says or urges, rather than deciding independently.Ex. 1
- 2Acting as one's feelings or impulses lead.
This browser can't play pronunciations (needs Safari 18.4 or later, or Chrome / Edge / Firefox).
In the sense illustrated by both examples, ままに often follows a passive verb of telling or urging and presents the action as going along with someone else's words. Example 1 also uses てしまった, giving the purchase a regrettable or unintended feel; とおりに focuses more on doing something as specified than on yielding to another person's urging.
Do not translate ままに in these examples as “because”; it describes acting in accordance with what someone said.
- ままN4「まま」 only indicates that a state remains unchanged, as in 「窓を開けたまま出かけた」, and carries no nuance of compliance. 「ままに」 means acting in accordance with others' requests or one's own inclinations, and typically attaches to words such as 「言われる」 and 「気の向く」; the two cannot be interchanged.
- とおりにN3「とおりに」 emphasizes matching plans, instructions, and the like, and can also mean 'just as ...'; 「ままに」 stresses going along with things without resistance. 「言われたとおりに」 is simply doing as one is told, while 「言われるままに」 often carries a nuance of blind obedience.
- にしたがってN3The 'according to' sense of 「にしたがって」 neutrally means following rules and instructions, whereas 「ままに」 means going along without resistance; 「規則のままに」 sounds unnatural. 「にしたがって」 also has an 'as (something changes)' sense.
- ように/ようなN3When 「ように」 means 'just as ...', as in 「言われたように」, it only indicates consistency with the content; 「ままに」 stresses going along without resistance and often carries a passive nuance when it involves obeying others. 「ように」's simile and exemplification senses are not interchangeable with 「ままに」.
Plain まま can describe a state left unchanged, while this use of ままに describes acting as something leads you. とおりに and に従って／にしたがって can express following instructions or rules without the same emphasis on passive compliance; ように／ような expresses manner or resemblance.
