All Blogs
Do You Really Need JLPT N2 for Gijinkoku Visa? Full Explanation (No Confusion) Japan Work Visa New Rules 2026: What Changed for Gijinkoku Visa? How to Renew a Japan Work Visa — How to Fill the Application Form + Complete Guide (Excel/PDF Download) Practical Guide to Landing IT Jobs in Japan Without Japanese Skills How I Found My First Web Developer Job in Japan Without Speaking Japanese Japan Work Visa Requirements: What You Need to Know The Best Cities to Work in Japan for Foreigners Hand-Cash Jobs in Japan: Timing, Risks & Visa Impact Top 10 Companies Hiring Foreigners in Japan Right Now
Menu

← All Lessons 26–50

Minna no Nihongo - Lesson 34

Complete Grammar Guide

Learn how to say “do it exactly as…,” “after…,” “do something while/with another action,” “do something without…,” and “do B instead of A.”

Lesson 34 core idea: this lesson teaches you how to describe following a model or instruction, sequencing actions, and showing whether one action is done with, without, or instead of another action.

Lesson 34 at a glance

1. Vとおりに

Do something exactly as you see, hear, learn, or are told.

2. Nのとおりに

Do something according to a diagram, line, arrow, manual, etc.

3. Vたあとで

Do a second action sometime after the first action.

4. Vて / Vないで

Do B while/with A, or do B without doing A.

1. Verb + とおりに — “do it exactly as…”

Verb dictionary form + とおりに + Verb 2 Verb た-form + とおりに + Verb 2

～とおりに means that you do the second action in the same way as something you see, hear, learn, are shown, or are told.

Think of とおり as “the way / the exact manner.” So Vとおりに means: “in exactly the way that V describes.”

Dictionary form vs た-form

The form before とおりに changes depending on whether the reference action is something that is happening from now on, or something that already happened.

Form Basic idea Example
Dictionary form + とおりに Follow what someone does/says from now on.
た-form + とおりに Follow what someone already did/taught/showed.
Simple memory rule:
If the model/action is about to happen or is happening now, dictionary form is common.
If the model/action already happened, た-form is common.

Examples from the core lesson

Please do as I do.

Watashi ga suru tōri ni yatte kudasai.

Copy what I do and perform it in the same way.

Please write it down as I say it.

Watashi ga iu tōri ni kaite kudasai.

Write down exactly what I say.

I made the dish the way I learned it from my mother.

Haha ni naratta tōri ni ryōri o tsukurimashita.

I brush my teeth the way the dentist taught me.

Haisha ni oshiete moratta tōri ni ha o migaite imasu.

More natural examples

Try saying it exactly as the teacher pronounces it.

I configured it exactly as I was instructed.

Please draw it the way you saw it.

2. Noun + のとおりに — “according to…”

Noun + の + とおりに + Verb

When the model is a noun rather than an action, use Nのとおりに. This is especially common with diagrams, lines, arrows, plans, manuals, instructions, and examples.

Follow the arrow.

Yajirushi no tōri ni itte kudasai.

Cut the paper along the line.

Sen no tōri ni kami o kirimasu.

Fold the paper according to the diagram.

Zu no tōri ni kami o orimasu.

Assemble the furniture according to the instruction manual.

Setsumeisho no tōri ni kagu o kumitatemasu.

Very practical expression:

= Please do it according to the manual.

3. Verb た-form + あとで / Noun + のあとで

Verb た-form + あとで + Verb 2 Noun + のあとで + Verb 2

～あとで means that the second action happens after the first action or event.

The important point is that あとで does not necessarily mean “immediately after.” There may be some time between the two actions.

Verb た-form + あとで

After exercising, I drank beer.

Undō shita ato de, bīru o nomimashita.

After buying a new one, I found the watch I had lost.

Atarashii no o katta ato de, nakushita tokei ga mitsukarimashita.

Noun + のあとで

Let's eat after the concert.

Konsāto no ato de, shokuji o shimashō.

I take a shower after jogging.

Jogingu no ato de, shawā o abimasu.

あとで vs てから

Pattern Main nuance Example
Vたあとで B happens sometime after A.
Vてから First A is completed, then B follows. The sequence is more strongly linked.
A beginner-friendly way to remember it:
あとで = “after that / sometime afterward”
てから = “after doing A, then B”

4. Verb て-form / Verb ないで + Verb 2

Verb 1 て-form + Verb 2 Verb 1 ないで + Verb 2

This structure describes how the second action is performed.

  • Vて + V2 → do V2 while doing V1 / with V1 as an accompanying action
  • Vないで + V2 → do V2 without doing V1
Do not translate every Japanese verb literally. Japanese often expresses “with…” or “without…” using an actual verb.

A. Verb て-form + Verb 2 — do B with/by doing A

I eat sushi with soy sauce.

Shōyu o tsukete sushi o tabemasu.

Literally, this is closer to “I put/dip soy sauce on it and eat sushi,” but natural English is “I eat sushi with soy sauce.”

I always go out carrying an umbrella.

Itsumo kasa o motte dekakemasu.

I read a book wearing glasses.

B. Verb ないで + Verb 2 — do B without doing A

Driving without wearing a seatbelt is dangerous.

Shīto beruto o shinaide unten suru koto wa abunai desu.

I drink coffee without adding sugar.

Satō o irenaide kōhī o nomimasu.

I went to school without eating breakfast.

5. Verb ないで + Verb 2 — “instead of doing A, do B”

Verb 1 ない-form + で + Verb 2

The same Vないで shape can also express a choice: “not A; instead, B.”

The difference between “without A” and “instead of A” comes from context. If A and B are competing choices or alternatives, the meaning is often “instead of.”

Examples

I didn't sleep last night. Instead, I assembled my new furniture.

Yūbe wa nenaide, atarashii kagu o kumitatemashita.

I won't buy a cake. I'll make one myself instead.

Kēki wa kawanaide, jibun de tsukurimasu.

I don't throw receipts away; I collect them instead.

Reshīto o sutenaide, atsumete imasu.

I didn't go anywhere yesterday; I played games at home instead.

Kinō wa doko ni mo ikanaide, uchi de gēmu o shimashita.

Important tense rule

The verb before ないで stays in the negative non-past form. The tense of the whole sentence is normally shown by the final verb.

Sentence Whole sentence tense
Present / habitual
Past
Present/future
Key idea: the first verb tells you what is not being done. The final verb tells you what actually happens and usually determines the sentence tense.

6. Extra learner notes

The points in this section are additional learner-focused explanations and examples added to make the grammar easier to use naturally.

Extra 1 — とおり vs ように

Both can sometimes be translated as “as / like,” but they are not identical.

Expression Typical nuance
～とおりに Follow something exactly or faithfully.
～ように In such a way that / so that / like.

I assembled it exactly according to the manual.

Please make a note so that you don't forget.

Extra 2 — Vないで vs Vずに

Vずに can also mean “without doing V.” It is more formal/written than Vないで.

I went out without eating breakfast. normal conversation

I went out without eating breakfast. more formal/written

With する, the Vずに form is せずに, not しずに.

Extra 3 — How to tell “without” from “instead of”

Without: A is simply omitted while B happens.

Instead of: A and B feel like alternative choices.

Extra 4 — Useful everyday combinations

Please follow the map.

Would you like to go for a drink after work?

I went out without taking an umbrella.

Instead of taking a taxi, I walked home.

7. Common mistakes

Mistake 1: forgetting の with a noun before とおりに

Mistake 2: using dictionary form before あとで
For a verb, the standard Lesson 34 pattern is:

not
Mistake 3: putting the first verb in past negative before ないで


The final verb normally carries the tense.
Mistake 4: translating Vて too literally as “and then” every time
In Lesson 34, Vて can describe an accompanying manner: = go out with/carrying an umbrella.

8. Quick cheat sheet

Grammar Meaning Example
V辞書形 + とおりに Do something as someone does/says.
Vた + とおりに Do it in the way previously learned/seen/taught.
Nのとおりに According to N.
Vたあとで After doing V.
Nのあとで After N.
Vて + V2 Do V2 with/by doing V1.
Vないで + V2 Do V2 without V1.
Vないで + V2 Do V2 instead of V1.

9. Practice

A. Choose the correct grammar

  1. Please assemble this according to the manual.
  2. After eating, I studied Japanese.
  3. I drank coffee without adding sugar.
  1. のとおりに
  2. あとで
  3. ないで

B. Translate into Japanese

  1. Please do exactly as I do.
  2. I folded the paper according to the diagram.
  3. Let's eat after the concert.
  4. I went out carrying an umbrella.
  5. I didn't take a taxi; I walked home instead.

Sample answers — other natural wordings are also correct.

C. “Without” or “instead of”?

Decide the most natural meaning of Vないで.

  1. Without adding sugar.
  2. Instead of buying a cake.

10. Final memory rules

= Follow something exactly as it is done, said, shown, learned, or written.

= Do B sometime after A is finished.

= Do V2 with / while doing V1.

= Do V2 without V1, or choose V2 instead of V1. Context tells you which meaning is intended.