JLPT N3

～ず

without doing; instead of doing

Structure

Verb-nai form (without ない) + ず

How it works

This grammatical form is an older, more formal way to express 'without doing something' or 'instead of doing something'. It creates a continuous action where the first action is omitted.

Examples

彼は何も言わず部屋を出て行った。

He left the room without saying anything.

Common mistakes

Forgetting to drop the 'ない' from 'nai' form (e.g., 食べないず becomes 食べず).

Tip

Replace 'ないで' with 'ず' for a more elegant or written tone, especially when connecting sentences.

More JLPT N3 grammar

としてに対してについてによってに関してにとってわけだわけがない

See ～ず in real Japanese

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