っぱなし (ppanashi)
～っぱなし — leaving ～ as it is
Pattern
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動詞ます形（語幹）＋っぱなしverb stem + っぱなし (つけっぱなし、開けっぱなし)
Two meanings
One is leaving something as is without doing what you should, such as not turning it off or not closing it (つけっぱなし, 開けっぱなし, 出しっぱなし). The other is a state that keeps going, as in 立ちっぱなし. Both imply a state that is not really good.
How to use it and cautions
It is used as 〜っぱなしにする, 〜っぱなしで or 〜っぱなしだ, and can link to the next clause, as in つけっぱなしで寝てしまった. It is close to 〜まま, but っぱなし carries a stronger sense of blame or hardship.
Examples
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電気（でんき）をつけっぱなしで寝（ね）てしまった。
Denki o tsuke ppanashi de nete shimatta.
I fell asleep with the light left on.
Left on without turning it off.
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窓（まど）を開（あ）けっぱなしにして出（で）かけてしまった。
Mado o ake ppanashi ni shite dekakete shimatta.
I went out and left the window wide open.
〜っぱなしにする: to leave it that way.
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立（た）ちっぱなしで働（はたら）いたので、足（あし）がとても疲（つか）れた。
Tachippanashi de hataraita node, ashi ga totemo tsukareta.
I worked standing the whole time, so my legs got really tired.
A state that kept going.
Common mistakes
- It is hard to use in a positive sense. Some uses such as 勝ちっぱなし exist, but basically it describes an unwelcome state.
- Attach it to the verb stem: × つけるっぱなし, ○ つけっぱなし.
More grammar points
- 上（あ）げる ～上げる — to finish ～ completely
- 合（あ）う ～合う — do ～ to each other; to fit, to suit
- だらけ ～だらけ — covered in ～, full of ～ (something bad)
- がち ～がち — tends to ～ (usually undesirable)
- がたい ～がたい — hard to ～
- 気味（ぎみ） ～気味 — a touch of ～
- かける ～かける — half-done, in the middle of ～
- 切（き）れない ～切れない — cannot finish, cannot fully ～
- 切（き）る ～切る — do ～ completely, to the end
- 込（こ）む ～込む — into, crowded, deeply ～
- 向（む）け ～向け — intended for ～, aimed at ～
- 向（む）き ～向き — suited to ～, facing ～
- 直（なお）す ～直す — do ～ over again
- っぽい ～っぽい — ～-ish / tends to be ～
- たて ～たて — “freshly ～ed / just done”
- 的（てき） ～的 — “-like / -al” (makes an adjective)
- 通（とお）す ～通す — “do ～ all the way through”
- あまり あまりの～に — so ～ that ～
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