Grammar › Obligation › 〜ないで
〜ないで
One little で on the negative does two jobs: "without doing X" — and, with ください, a gentle "please don't".
The short version
Take the plain negative (見ない) and add で. On its own, 〜ないで + [another verb] means "do the second thing without doing the first". Add ください and it becomes a polite request not to do something: "please don't…".
見ない → 見ないで、… — without looking, …
見ないでください — please don't look
〜ないでください — please don't
The everyday polite way to ask someone not to do something.
心配しないでください。
Please don't worry. (心配しない + でください)
諦めないでください。
Please don't give up. (諦めない + でください)
〜ないで — "without doing"
Here 〜ないで links to a second action: the first thing didn't happen, the second one did.
ユーチューブも見ないで、絵を描いてます。
Without even watching YouTube, I'm drawing. (見ないで + second action)
Watch out
ないで vs なくて. To connect a negative to another verb (a request or "without doing"), use ないで. The other negative te-form, なくて, is for reasons/causes ("because it's not…") — see 〜なくては. For "without doing X", ないで is the one.
🗣 Drop ください for a soft casual "don't". Among friends, 「言わないで」 ("don't tell") or 「泣かないで」 ("don't cry") stand alone, and a friendly ないでね softens it further.
Next: 〜ほうがいい — had better → · 〜てはいけない → · All grammar
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