Translation guide
How to express the idea of 'remaining' in Japanese, covering leftover items, remaining time, people staying behind, and states that continue.
まだケーキが残っている。
There is still some cake left.
残り時間はどのくらいですか。
How much time is left?
Talking about things that are left over, such as food, money, or other countable/uncountable items.
The most common way to say something is remaining or left over. It is the te-iru form of 残る (to remain), indicating a resulting state.
冷蔵庫にまだ牛乳が残っている。
There is still some milk left in the fridge.
I have a little money left.
Used when something is left over in excess, more than needed. Often implies surplus.
食材が余っているので、何か作りましょう。
We have leftover ingredients, so let's make something.
A noun meaning 'the remainder' or 'leftovers'. Often used with counters or in phrases like 残りわずか (only a little left).
残りは明日食べます。
I'll eat the leftovers tomorrow.
残り時間はあと5分です。
The remaining time is 5 minutes.
Expressing how much time or distance is left until a deadline or destination.
A pattern meaning 'more to go' or 'left'. Place a time/distance expression after あと.
あと10分で終わります。
It will finish in 10 more minutes.
駅まであとどのくらいですか。
How much farther is it to the station?
Used as a noun before time/distance words, e.g., 残り時間 (remaining time), 残り距離 (remaining distance).
残り時間はわずかです。
The remaining time is short.
Describing people who remain in a place while others leave.
Intransitive verb meaning 'to stay behind' or 'to remain'. Use に残る for the place.
私は会社に残って仕事をします。
I'll stay behind at the office and work.
彼だけが部屋に残った。
Only he remained in the room.
Specifically means to stay behind (often after others have left), sometimes with a nuance of being kept back (e.g., detention).
Expressing that a situation or state remains the same.
Attached to nouns, adjectives, or verbs in past/negative form to mean 'as it is' or 'still'. Indicates an unchanged state.
窓を開けたまま寝てしまった。
I fell asleep with the window open (remaining open).
そのままにしておいてください。
Please leave it as it is.
Adverb meaning 'still' or 'not yet'. Used with positive or negative predicates to indicate a continuing state.
彼はまだ若い。
He is still young.
Talking about work, homework, or duties that are left undone.
Same as for items, but applied to tasks. Often used with 仕事 (work) or 宿題 (homework).
まだやらなければならない仕事が残っている。
There is still work left that I have to do.
Negative te-iru form of 済む (to be finished). Means 'not yet done' or 'remaining to be done'.
宿題がまだ済んでいない。
My homework isn't done yet.
残る (のこる) simply means 'to remain' or 'be left'. 余る (あまる) implies there is more than needed, a surplus. Use 残る for neutral leftover, 余る for excess.
お金が残った（ただ残っている）。
Money remained (just left over).
お金が余った（使いきれなかった）。
Money was left over (couldn't spend it all).
While 残っている can be used for people staying behind, it can sound impersonal. For people, 残る or 居残る is more natural. Avoid 人が残っている for 'someone is left behind' in emotional contexts; use 取り残される (left behind) instead.
彼は一人で部屋に残った。
He stayed in the room alone.
The student was kept after school.
雨がまだ降っている。
It is still raining.