What it means
もしないで attaches to the masu-stem of a verb and means “without even doing.” It emphasizes that the action was not performed at all, often suggesting that the action would have been minimal, expected, or necessary. The following clause describes what happened despite that omission. It is commonly used in written or deliberate narration and can express criticism, surprise, or disbelief depending on context.
Usage note
もしないで is stronger than the ordinary negative connective ないで. Do not use it when you only mean that one action preceded another without performing a second action; use ないで for that neutral meaning.
Example sentences
彼は専門家に相談もしないで、複雑な契約書に署名してしまった。
He signed the complicated contract without even consulting an expert.
編集者は原稿を読み返しもしないで、印刷所に送ってしまった。
The editor sent the manuscript to the printer without even rereading it.
彼は証拠を確