aspect N3 common casualpolitewritten
っぱなし — leave ~ (in a state)
っぱなし
Builds on 連用形（ます形）
Meaning
① left as-is: leave ~ (and not undo it) — an action is done and its state is left standing, usually carelessly
② continuously: keep ~ing the whole time — the action goes on without a break
Key sentence
① left as-is
電気をつけっぱなしで寝てしまった。
I fell asleep with the light left on.
② continuously
満員電車で一時間立ちっぱなしだった。
I stood the entire hour on the packed train.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb ます-stem + っぱなし | V[ます-stem] + っぱなし | つけっぱなし / 言いっぱなし / 座りっぱなし |
Examples
① left as-is
窓を開けっぱなしにして出かけた。
I went out leaving the window open.
彼は道具を出しっぱなしで片付けない。
He leaves his tools out and never puts them away.
② continuously
今日は朝から歩きっぱなしで、足が痛い。
I've been walking nonstop since morning, and my feet hurt.
Easily confused with
Notes
- From 放す ('let go / leave'). Sense 1 (neglect) is the common one and usually pairs with にする / だ; sense 2 ('the whole time') treats an ongoing action as relentless.
See っぱなし in real sentences
Jengo shows っぱなし the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Intermediate Japanese Grammar.