して行｛い｝かない versus しないで行｛い｝く


Do they have the same meaning?

> A: 宿｛しゅく｝題｛だい｝を **して行｛い｝かない** 生｛せい｝徒｛と｝が多｛おお｝いです。
>
> B: 宿｛しゅく｝題｛だい｝を **しないで行｛い｝く** 生｛せい｝徒｛と｝が多｛おお｝いです。




If sentence A has a comma like:

> A: 宿題をして、行かない生徒が多いです。  
>  B: 宿題をしないで行く生徒が多いです。

then Sjiveru is right.

However, it doesn't have a comma, so they have the same meaning. They mean
"There are many students who go without doing their homework." The して行かない
doesn't mean "don't go" but "don't do their homework."




Sentence A:

> A: 宿題をして行かない生徒が多いです。

This almost always means "There are many students who go to school without
doing their homework." (ie, they go to school anyway)

In English, "Don't drink and drive" always means "Don't drive after you
drink", not "Don't drink! Do drive!" Here "drink-and-drive" is treated as one
set. And "Let's not go and see him" usually does not mean "Let's stay home,
and let's see him instead."

Quite similarly, in Sentence A, the ない negates "宿題をして行く" part as a whole.
That's why it's effectively the same as Sentence B.

Other similar examples:

  * 遊んで暮らすな。 Don't live in idleness. (not "Play! And don't live!")
  * 物を口に入れて喋らないでください。 Please don't speak with your mouth full.
  * 物を口に入れて **、** 喋らないでください。 Please fill your mouth with food, and don't speak. (See the comma)

