Japanese from zero · N3 Lesson 9
Without telling
〜ずに ・ 〜ふりを する ・ 〜うちに ・ 〜を込めて ・ 〜ないと
In this lesson, you will learn to say you did something without doing something else (〜ずに), to pretend (〜ふりを する), to do something while you still can (〜うちに), to do it with feeling (〜を 込めて), and to say you have to (〜ないと). Tanaka asks Lisa to help with a secret plan for Sakura's birthday.
By the end you will be able to say
何も 言わずに 帰りました。I went home without saying anything.
知らない ふりを して ください。Please pretend you don't know.
温かい うちに 食べて ください。Please eat it while it's warm.
心を 込めて 作りました。I made it with all my heart.
もう 帰らないと。I have to go home now.
The grammar in this lesson
- 〜ずに — without doing — The ない form without ない, plus ずに, means 'without doing'; it is the written-style twin of 〜ないで.
- 〜ふりを する — to pretend — Plain form + ふりを する means to act as if something were true when it is not.
- 〜うちに — while; before it changes — Plain form + うちに means 'while (it is still so)', so you act before the chance is gone.
- 〜を込めて — with feeling put into it — A feeling + を 込めて means doing something with that feeling put into it.
- 〜ないと — have to; unless — The ない form + と ends a sentence with 'I have to'; in the middle it means 'if … not'.