“〜sono mama・kono mama・〜ta mama”: Leaving As Is / Just Like That (state maintenance) [JLPT N3]
Content by NTJ Kuma · Nihongo to Japan editorial team · Updated July 27, 2026
「電気をつけたまま外出した」 — leaving a state exactly as it is.
「動かないで、そのまま！」 — hold this state, don't change it
The photographer calls out: 「そのまま！動かないで」 (hold it! don't move) — 「そのまま」 means “keep that state, as-is, unchanged.” Together with 「このまま」 (keep this state), it's a demonstrative ＋ まま pair for “maintaining the status quo,” “as-is, directly ….” This guide covers 「このまま・そのまま」's meaning and uses, separating it from the verb form 「〜たまま」.
Core: この/その ＋ まま = keep this/that state unchanged
「まま」 marks “keeping a state unchanged”; prefixed with a demonstrative it becomes:
- このまま = keep ‘this (current)' state: このままでいいですか (is it okay to keep it like this?).
- そのまま = keep ‘that (just-mentioned)' state, as-is: 荷物はそのままにしておいて (leave the luggage as it is).
- (あのまま = keep ‘that (distant/past)' state — less common.)
Feel: “just like this／just like that (unchanged, as-is)” — the core is a state's ‘maintenance, non-alteration': don't touch it, don't change it, let it stay as it was.
Three common uses
| Use | Note | Example |
|---|---|---|
| maintain a state | keep as-is, don't move | そのままにしておく (leave it as it is) |
| as-is, directly | without change … | 聞いたことをそのまま伝える (relay verbatim) |
| このまま(では) | at this rate, often with worry | このままでは間に合わない (at this rate we won't make it) |
Examples in context
- 靴はそのままでいいですよ、脱がなくて大丈夫。(Leave your shoes as they are; no need to take them off.)
- 私が聞いた話を、そのままあなたに伝えます。(I'll relay what I heard to you verbatim.)
- このまままっすぐ行くと、駅に着きます。(Go straight like this and you'll reach the station.)
- このままでは、締め切りに間に合わない。(At this rate, we won't make the deadline.) — worry
- 疲れて、服を着たまま寝てしまった。(Exhausted, I fell asleep with my clothes on.) — verb たまま (contrast)
⚠️ Easy traps to avoid
① このまま (near, the present situation) vs そのまま (that, the just-mentioned state/as-is). このまま = keep the ‘present, at-hand' state (このままでいい = this is fine as it is now; このまま行けば = if it goes on like now); そのまま = keep ‘that (yours, just-said, existing)' state, or as-is unchanged (そのままにして = leave it as it is; そのまま読む = read it as written). For the present situation use このまま; for “that thing/just-mentioned, as-is,” use そのまま.
② 「このまま・そのまま」 (demonstrative ＋ まま) ≠ 「verb た-form ＋ まま」. Both use 「まま」, but attach differently. このまま/そのまま = demonstratives, pointing at ‘this/that state' (そのままにする); verb た-form ＋ まま = keep the state ‘after doing an action' (窓を開けたまま = with the window left open; 立ったまま = standing; テレビをつけたまま = with the TV left on). For “keep the state after a concrete action,” use 「verb た-form ＋ まま」; for “just like this/that,” use 「このまま/そのまま」.
③ 「このままでは」 carries a sense of crisis, often with a bad prediction. 「このまま」 ＋ 「では」 (このままでは／このままだと／このままじゃ) often expresses worry about the status quo — “if this keeps up (unchanged), … (a bad result)”: このままでは、失敗する (at this rate, we'll fail); このままだと、体を壊すよ (keep this up and you'll ruin your health). It's a common way to warn and prompt change.
🔄 Compare: このまま・そのまま／〜たまま／〜ながら
| Form | Feel | Example |
|---|---|---|
| このまま/そのまま | keep this/that state, as-is (demonstrative ＋ まま) | そのままにして |
| verb た-form ＋ まま | keep the state ‘after doing an action' (left unchanged) | 靴を履いたまま |
| verb masu-stem ＋ ながら | while … (two actions at once) | 歩きながら食べる （eats while walking） |
💡 Learning tip
「このまま・そのまま」 = keep this/that state, as-is unchanged; the core is “maintain the status quo, don't touch/change it.” Remember three uses: ① maintain a state (そのままにしておく = leave it as it is); ② as-is, directly (そのまま伝える = relay verbatim; そのまま読む = read as written); ③ このまま(では) = at this rate, especially with 「では／だと」 carrying worry, a warning about the status quo (このままでは間に合わない = at this rate we won't make it). Two mix-up reminders: ① このまま (the present situation) vs そのまま (that/as-is); ② the demonstrative 「このまま/そのまま」 isn't 「verb た-form ＋ まま」 (the latter is an ongoing state after an action, like “window left open, shoes left on”). Grasp the core “maintain, unchanged” and this set flows smoothly.
❓ Questions you might have
Q: How do I tell 「このまま」 from 「そのまま」? Both render as ‘just like this.'
By こそあど demonstrative distance, like the difference between 「これ／それ」. 「このまま」 = keep ‘this' state — the speaker's at-hand, present situation: このままでいいですか (is it okay to keep it like this now? — the present state); このまま行けば成功する (keep going like now and you'll succeed — the current trajectory). It points at the “present, at-hand” state. 「そのまま」 = keep ‘that' state — the other's, the just-mentioned, or the existing state, and often ‘as-is, without change': (asked whether to remove shoes) そのままで大丈夫です (as you are is fine); 私が言ったことをそのまま書いて (write down what I said verbatim — without changing it). It points at the “that (mentioned/existing)” state, often extending to “as-is, untouched.” In short: for the present situation use 「このまま」, for “that thing/just-mentioned, as-is” use 「そのまま」. In many cases both work (especially for “at this rate,” either このまま/そのまま is fine); when splitting hairs, こ = at-hand, そ = that/as-is.
Q: 「そのまま」 and 「verb た-form ＋ まま」 (e.g., 開けたまま) both have 「まま」 — are they the same?
No — though both use 「まま」 for ‘keeping a state,' what precedes and what they point at differ. 「そのまま／このまま」 = demonstrative ＋ まま, directly pointing at ‘that/this state' as-is: 荷物はそのままにして (leave the luggage as it is — 「そのまま」 points at “that [existing] state”). It doesn't specify “the state after what action” — just vaguely “like that/this.” 「verb た-form ＋ まま」 = keep the state ‘after doing that action' (with the next step undone): 窓を開けたまま出かけた (went out with the window left open — after opening it, not closing it, kept open); 靴を履いたまま上がる (come up with shoes on — not taking them off); 電気をつけたまま寝る (sleep with the light on — not turning it off). It clearly marks “the ongoing state after doing action A,” often implying “the expected next step (close, remove, turn off) was left undone.” So: for ‘just like this/that (vaguely as-is)' use 「このまま/そのまま」; for ‘keep the state after doing an action' (open, worn, left) use 「verb た-form ＋ まま」. (Detailed use of verb た-form ＋ まま: see 〈〜たまま〉.)
🖊️ Practice Questions (5)
Q1. 「電気をつけ___、外出してしまった。」(I went out leaving the light on)
(A) そのまま (B) このまま (C) たまま (D) のまま
Q2. 「___じゃダメだ。もっと頑張らないと。」(Things can't go on like this; showing dissatisfaction with the status quo)
(A) そのまま (B) このまま (C) たまま (D) のまま
Q3. 「この書類は___、上司に渡してください。」(Just as it is, don't change anything, hand it to the boss)
(A) このまま (B) そのまま (C) たまま (D) のまま
Q4. 「コートを着___、会議に出席した。」(I attended the meeting with my coat still on)
(A) そのまま (B) このまま (C) たまま (D) のまま
Q5. 「何も言わ___まま、部屋を出た。」(I left the room without saying anything)
(A) た (B) ない (C) る (D) て
Answer Explanations
1. (C) たまま ── 「電気をつけた (た-form) + まま、外出した」= went out with the light left on → たまま.
2. (B) このまま ── 「このまま (this current state) じゃダメだ」= dissatisfaction/worry about one's own present state → このまま.
3. (B) そのまま ── 「この書類はそのまま (in that state) 渡してください」= instructing the other person to keep the document as is → そのまま.
4. (C) たまま ── 「コートを着た (た-form) まま、会議に出席した」= attended the meeting with the coat on → たまま.
5. (B) ない ── 「何も言わない + まま」= ない-form stem + まま = in a state of having said nothing → ないまま.