ずに

Without Doing

Level 2Sounds Like zuni

ずに is a formal, literary version of ないで. It describes doing something while skipping an expected or intended action.

How It Works

1. Meaning and Usage
ずに means 'without doing [Verb].' It functions as an adverbial clause that describes the state or manner of the main action. It implies that the action not taken was something one would normally expect to happen in that situation.

2. Conjugation Rules
It attaches to the negative stem (the same stem used for the ない form), with one major exception for する:

  • Godan Verbs: Change the final -u to -a + ずに. For verbs ending in a vowel + う, the stem ends in 「わ」 (e.g., 買う（かう） → 買わずに).
  • Ichidan Verbs: Remove -る + ずに (e.g., 食べる（たべる） → 食べずに).
  • Irregular Verbs:
    ・する becomes せずに (NOT しずに)
    ・来る（くる） becomes 来ずに（こずに）

3. Nuance and Register
Compared to ないで, ずに sounds more formal, objective, and 'crisp.' While ないで is the standard for daily conversation, ずに is frequently found in novels, newspapers, formal reports, and set idiomatic expressions like 思わず（おもわず - unintentionally/spontaneously）.

4. Key Limitation
Unlike ないで, ずに cannot be used as the negative request itself. You cannot say 「ずにください」 to ask someone not to do something. However, it can function as an adverb modifying a request, such as 「忘れずに（わすれずに）持ってきてください」 (Please bring it without forgetting).

Examples (5)

  1. 朝ごはんを食べずに学校へ行った。

    I went to school without eating breakfast.

    Word by Word: Breakfast (object) eat-without school to went.

    This implies the person went to school in the state of not having eaten, perhaps because they were in a hurry.

  2. 彼は何も言わずに部屋を出て行った。

    He left the room without saying anything.

    Word by Word: He (topic) anything say-without room (object) leaving went.

    Using ずに here adds a slightly literary or dramatic tone to the description of his silent departure.

  3. 辞書を使わずに日本語の新聞を読みました。

    I read a Japanese newspaper without using a dictionary.

    Word by Word: Dictionary (object) use-without Japanese-language newspaper (object) read.

    Describes the manner of reading—specifically, the achievement of doing it without external help.

  4. 諦めずに最後まで頑張りましょう。

    Let's do our best until the end without giving up.

    Word by Word: Give up-without end until let's-do-best.

    This is a common formal expression used in speeches or encouragement.

  5. 昨夜は傘を持たずに出かけてしまった。

    Last night I accidentally went out without bringing an umbrella.

    Word by Word: Last-night (topic) umbrella (object) hold-without go-out (regret).

    The ずに pattern (sometimes shortened to just ず in writing) describes the state of the speaker when they left.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the wrong negative stem for 'suru' verbs.

    勉強しずに寝ました。
    勉強せずに寝ました。

    For する（to do）, the negative stem used with ずに is 「せ」, not 「し」. This is a remnant of classical Japanese grammar and is a common point of confusion since the ない form uses 「し」.

  • Using ずに for the request itself.

    忘れずにください
    忘れずに持ってきてください

    You cannot use ずに directly with ください to make a negative request (use ないでください for that). However, ずに can be used as an adverb within a request to describe how the action should be done, such as 'Please bring it without forgetting.'

  • Misreading the kanji for 来る（くる）.

    来ずに (read as きずに)
    来ずに (read as こずに)

    Just like the ない form（こない）, the verb 来る（くる） uses the 「こ」 reading when combined with ずに.

How It Connects

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ずにLevel 2Without Doing

Learn This First

To understand ずに, you need to know how to conjugate verbs into their negative stems (a-stem). It is functionally identical to 'naide' but used in formal or written contexts, and it has a unique irregular form for the verb 'suru' (sezu).

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ずに