N3 Actions in Progress or State

〜っぱなし: meaning, usage and examples

〜っぱなし means: leaving something as is (light on, door open) / doing something nonstop.

Updated 9 November 2026 · By the My Senpai team · Spotted a mistake? Tell us

Examples

1. かぎを開あけっぱなしで、出でてしまいました。

   I left home with the door unlocked.

2. テレビをつけっぱなしで寝ねてしまった。

   I fell asleep with the TV left on.

3. 水みずを出だしっぱなしにしないでください。

   Please don't leave the water running.

4. 今日きょうは一日中いちにちじゅう立たちっぱなしで、足あしが痛いたいです。

   I was on my feet all day today, so my legs hurt.

When to use it

Means leaving something in a state that should have been ended, such as a light left on, a door left open, or water left running (電気でんきをつけっぱなし). It is also used for doing something without a break for a long time, such as standing all day (立たちっぱなし) or losing again and again (負まけっぱなし).

Nuance

Casual to neutral, and usually negative: it carries a feeling of carelessness, waste, or tiredness. Common with つける, 開あける, 出だす, 置おく for "left as is," and with 立たつ, 座すわる, 働はたらく for "nonstop."

Compare

Compare っぱなし with まま: both can mean "left as is," but まま is neutral and only describes an unchanged state (くつをはいたまま入はいる), while っぱなし criticizes not finishing what you should have done. まま also works with nouns and adjectives; っぱなし works only with verbs.

Tip: Learn it with the classic complaint: 電気でんきがつけっぱなしだよ! ("You left the light on!"). If there is no sense of blame or tiredness, use まま.