connective N1 uncommon writtenliterary
たなり — remaining in the state of (having done)
たなり
Builds on た形
Meaning
- left just as ~ / and then nothing more — a state set by one past action continues unchanged, often longer than expected
Key sentence
彼は朝出かけたなり、夜まで帰ってこなかった。
He went out in the morning and didn't come back until night.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb た-form + なり(で) | V-た + なり(で) | 座ったなり / 置いたなり |
Examples
祖父は椅子に座ったなり、しばらく動かなかった。
My grandfather sat down in the chair and didn't move for a while.
借りた本を机に置いたなり、まだ読んでいない。
I set the book I borrowed on the desk and still haven't read it.
When you can't use it
- The second clause shows that nothing changes from that state — the expected next action never comes. It carries a sense of neglect or an unexpected, prolonged continuation.
Easily confused with
〜まま Very close in meaning. まま is the everyday word for 'left in a state.' たなり is literary and stresses 'and then nothing further happened' — the anticipated next move never occurs. 〜きり 〜たきり ('and then nothing,' 寝たきり) overlaps heavily. たきり is the more common spoken form; たなり is more literary. Both mark a state frozen after one action.
Notes
- Distinct from the literary なり meaning 'as soon as ~' (出るなり 'the moment he left'). Here なり attaches to the た-form and means 'left in that state.'
See たなり in real sentences
Jengo shows たなり 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 Advanced Japanese Grammar.