auxiliary N2 uncommon writtenliterary
〜ず — not ~ / without ~ing
〜ず ・ ず
Builds on ない形
Meaning
- not ~ / without ~ing — the classical negative auxiliary, equivalent to ない / ないで
Key sentence
彼は何も言わず、部屋を出て行った。
Without saying anything, he left the room.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb (ない-stem) | V-ない stem + ず | 行く → 行かず、食べる → 食べず |
| する (irregular) | せず | 勉強する → 勉強せず |
When: Written and literary. In speech, use ないで (manner) or なくて (cause).
Variants
ずに — the adverbial form used before another verb — 急がずに進む 'proceed without hurrying'; the most common form in modern prose
Examples
彼女は振り返らずに歩き続けた。
She kept walking without looking back.
朝ごはんも食べず、家を飛び出した。
Without even eating breakfast, I rushed out of the house.
理由も告げず、彼は会社を辞めた。
Without even giving a reason, he quit the company.
誰にも相談せず、一人で決めた。
I decided alone, without consulting anyone.
When you can't use it
- する becomes せず, never しず. This is the one irregular form to memorize.
Easily confused with
See 〜ず in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜ず 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.