as it is; leaving (a state unchanged)

まま describes doing something while a state stays unchanged. Attach it to a past-tense verb (つけたまま, left on), a noun with の, or an adjective. It emphasizes that the expected change did not happen.

Examples

• 電気でんきをつけたまま、寝ねてしまった。

  Denki o tsuketa mama, nete shimatta.

  I fell asleep with the lights left on.

• 靴くつのまま、入はいらないでください。

  Kutsu no mama, hairanaide kudasai.

  Please don't come in with your shoes on.

Vocabulary in these examples

• 電気 electricity; light
• つける to turn on
• 寝る to sleep; to go to bed
• 靴 shoes
• 入る to enter
• くださる to give (honorific)

Related patterns · Time and change

• 〜うちに while; before (a state changes)
• 〜たびに every time; whenever
• 〜ところだ about to / in the middle of / just did