ままに

As … / in accordance with … / letting something happen without control → doing something by following a state, feeling, order, or natural flow, without resistance

N1

Meaning

As … / in accordance with … / letting something happen without control → doing something by following a state, feeling, order, or natural flow, without resistance

Formation

Noun + の + ままに + Clause
Verb (dictionary form) + ままに + Clause
Verb (た-form) + ままに + Clause

Explanation

ままに expresses that an action or result occurs exactly as something is, or by yielding to it, without intentional control or resistance.

🔸 ままに emphasizes “no resistance”

What is followed can be:

  • one’s feelings or instincts

  • instructions or commands

  • a natural state or condition

  • events as they unfold

Key nuance:

  • The subject does not intervene

  • The action happens naturally or obediently

  • Often carries a literary or formal tone

  • Common in written Japanese and JLPT N11 passages

Depending on context, it can imply:

  • acceptance

  • passiveness

  • surrender to circumstances