без да + Verb

1. The pattern. Main clause + comma + без да + present verb:

• Влязох, без да почукам. (I came in without knocking.)
• Тя замина, без да се сбогува. (She left without saying goodbye.)

2. The verb has its own subject. Usually it is the same person as in the main clause, but it can be someone else: Излязохме, без никой да ни види. (We went out without anyone seeing us.)

3. Aspect. For one complete act, use the perfective: без да каже. For an ongoing activity or a habit, use the imperfective: Не мога да заспя, без да чета. (I cannot fall asleep without reading.)

To stress that something had not happened before, the perfect is also possible: Тръгна, без да е платил. (He left without having paid.)

4. No second не. Без да already means not. Negative words such as нищо and никой follow it directly, with no не before the verb: без да каже нищо. Compare negative words with не, which need не in an ordinary clause.

5. Punctuation. The без да clause is separated from the main clause with a comma. See commas before subordinate clauses.