JLPT N3 Comparison

〜とおり(に) vs 〜まま toori ni · mama

とおり means “just as” or “in accordance with”; まま usually describes a state remaining unchanged. Use 言ったとおりに for following what someone said, and 開けたまま for leaving something open. Both 予定どおり and 予定のとおり are standard. The separate pattern 思うままに means “as one wishes,” so まま is not limited to unchanged states.

also どおりに after a noun

just as·while still

Structure

How do you form 〜とおり(に) and 〜まま?

Verb［辞書形・た形］＋とおりに

言う → 言うとおりに / 言った → 言ったとおりに. The verb sets the model; とおりに says you followed it.

Noun＋どおりに

予定 → 予定どおりに or 予定のとおりに. Both are standard; the choice depends on the noun and construction.

Verb［た形・ない形］＋まま

開けた → 開けたまま. 言わない → 言わないまま. まま attaches straight on, no model needed.

Noun＋の／な形＋な／い形＋まま

昔のまま. 静かなまま. 熱いまま. Three different connectors, same idea: nothing about it changed.

Meaning

What's the difference between 〜とおり(に) and 〜まま?

Both attach to something already established and describe how a second thing relates to it — but they point in different directions. とおり asks whether you matched a model. まま asks whether a state stayed frozen.

とおり matches a stated model, plan, or expectation: 言ったとおりに, 図のとおりに, 思ったとおりに. With nouns, both Nのとおり and compounds in Nどおり occur; do not treat のとおり as incorrect.

The unchanged-state use of まま describes a condition continuing: 窓を開けたまま出かけた leaves the window open. A separate use, 思うままに, means “as one wishes.”

A quick test: if "in what way?" gets a sensible answer, reach for とおり. If the honest answer to "did anything change?" is "no," reach for まま. There's no とおり for a light being on — only a state of it, which is exactly what まま is for.

Sentences

6 sentences, word by word

plain past · matching an instruction

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。

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母

はは［1］

my mother

noun · your own mother, humble register

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に

by — marks who did it

particle · the agent of the passive verb

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言われた

いわれた

was told

passive past of 言う · someone else did the telling

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とおりに

just as; the way that

grammar · copies the exact manner of what came before

〜とおりにN3just as; the way that

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料理

りょうり［1］

a dish; cooking

noun · 料理する is the verb form

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を

marks the direct object

particle · pronounced お

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作った

つくった

made

godan verb · plain past of 作る

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I made the dish just the way my mother told me.

noun + rendaku · matching a schedule

plain

。

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電車

でんしゃ［0］

train

noun · 電 electric + 車 vehicle

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は

as for — the topic

particle · written は, read わ

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時刻表

じこくひょう［0］

timetable

noun · 時刻 time + 表 chart

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どおりに

exactly as (scheduled)

grammar · とおりに rendaku'd onto a noun, no の needed

〜どおりにN3exactly as scheduled/planned

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来た

きた

came

irregular verb · plain past of 来る

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The train came right on schedule.

plain past · a state left unattended

plain

。

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テレビ

テレビ［1］

television

noun · loanword, short for テレビジョン

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を

marks the direct object

particle · pronounced お

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つけた

turned on

ichidan verb · plain past of つける

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まま

while still; left as is

grammar · the state stays as it was — on purpose or not is left open

〜ままN3while still; left as is

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眠ってしまった

ねむってしまった

fell asleep (before I meant to)

godan 眠る + てしまう · marks something happening despite you

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I fell asleep with the TV still on.

ない-form · skipped without doing

plain

。

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宿題

しゅくだい［0］

homework

noun · 宿題をする／やる is the verb form

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を

marks the direct object

particle · pronounced お

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やらない

not do

godan verb · plain negative of やる

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まま

without ever doing

grammar · attaches straight onto ない, no state changed

〜ないままN3without ever doing

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学校

がっこう［0］

school

noun · 学 study + 校 institution

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に

to — the destination

particle · marks where 行く is headed

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行った

いった

went

irregular verb · plain past of 行く

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He went to school without doing his homework.

matching pair · とおりに

plain

。

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先生

せんせい［3］

teacher

noun · also used as a title of address

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に

by — marks who did it

particle · the agent of the passive verb

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言われた

いわれた

was told

passive past of 言う · the same construction as sentence one

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とおりに

just as; the way that

grammar · copies the manner given by 先生

〜とおりにN3just as; the way that

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窓

まど［1］

window

noun · the same word as in sentence six

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を

marks the direct object

particle · pronounced お

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閉めた

しめた

closed

ichidan verb · plain past of 閉める

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I closed the window exactly as the teacher told me.

matching pair · まま

plain

。

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窓

まど［1］

window

noun · the same word as in sentence five

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を

marks the direct object

particle · pronounced お

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開けた

あけた

opened

ichidan verb · plain past of 開ける

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まま

while still; left as is

grammar · the open state is what's being preserved

〜ままN3while still; left as is

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に

into (a state) — fixing it there

particle · pairs with する to lock in the state まま describes

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しておいた

left it that way

する + ておく, past · a deliberate leave-as-is, not an accident

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I left the window open, just as it was.

Watch out

Where does this go wrong?

予定どおり and 予定のとおり

予定どおり and 予定のとおり are both standard. In the unchanged-state construction, a noun takes の before まま: 昔のまま.

とおりに needs something to copy — まま doesn't

とおり requires a model to match: an instruction, a plan, a demonstration. まま attaches straight onto verbs and adjectives with no model in sight — 熱いまま just means "still hot," nothing being compared to anything.

まま often flags something skipped

電気をつけたまま寝た isn't neutral bookkeeping — it usually implies you forgot to turn the light off. Read まま as "unchanged" first, but don't be surprised when the unchanged thing was supposed to change.

Also asked

Questions people ask about とおり(に) and まま

Is とおりに the same as ように?

No. とおり copies one exact, specific manner — this way, no other. ように is broader: it covers purpose ("so that") and rough resemblance. 猫のように鳴く is "cries like a cat" — an approximation, not a copied instruction.

When do I use どおり instead of のとおり?

Common compounds include 予定どおり and 計画どおり. Nのとおり is also standard, as in 図のとおり. Learn which construction fits the noun, rather than applying a speech-versus-writing rule.

Does まま always mean something bad happened?

Not always, but it often flags a state you'd expect to change and didn't. Sometimes that's neutral or deliberate — 窓を開けたまま can be airing out a room on purpose. Context decides which reading you're in.

How do I say "as expected"?

思ったとおり(に) — literally "just as I thought." It's the go-to phrase for "called it."

Can まま attach to an い-adjective directly?

Yes, with no connector at all: 熱いまま, 忙しいまま. Nouns are the odd one out — they need の first.

What's the difference between そのまま and そのとおり?

そのまま means "leave it as it is, just like that" — a state. そのとおり means "exactly right, that's it" — agreement that something matches.

References

Sources and usage notes

Shogakukan dictionary: 通り (via Kotobank) — Gives the matching-state or matching-method sense and the suffix どおり.

Japan Foundation: まま — Explains unchanged states and the distinct dictionary-form ままに use.

Nearby

Points that live next door

くせに vs のにkuse ni · noni

a sneer vs a plain contrast

わけがない vs わけではない vs はずがないwake ga nai · hazu ga nai

there's no way vs that's not to say

わりに vs にしてはwari ni · ni shite wa

considering that, two ways

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