Grammar Info

N1 Lesson 8: 17/19

余所(よそ)

Ignoring, Disregarding, Despite

Structure Legend

Structure

Noun + よそに
Phrase + + よそに

Details

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    Formal

  • 使用域

    硬い

About をよそに

余所(よそ) is used to express that (A) is something that effectively has nothing to do with the speaker, or that the speaker is ignoring it in relation to something else. It may be translated as 'ignoring (A)', or 'disregarding (A)'. It is a combination of the adverbial particle を, the noun 余所(よそ) 'other place', and the case-marking particle に. Due to this, its literal meaning is close to 'putting (A) completely aside, (B)'.
This structure will follow nouns, or phrases that have been nominalized with の. It is reasonably formal, so will be seen more often in writing.
  • (かれ)(おや)心配(しんぱい)をよそに毎晩(まいばん)(よる)(おそ)くまで友達(ともだち)たちと(あそ)んでいる。
    Ignoring his parent's worries, he hangs out with his friends every night until late at night.
  • 社長(しゃちょう)社員(しゃいん)反対(はんたい)をよそに仕事(しごと)効率(こうりつ)()げるために休憩所(きゅうけいじょ)撤去(てっきょ)した。
    Ignoring objections from his workers, the president got rid of the break room inorder to increase efficiency.
  • (かれ)周囲(しゅうい)視線(しせん)をよそに、コンビニの店員(てんいん)暴言(ぼうげん)()(つづ)けていた。
    Ignoring the eyes of those around him, he continued to lash out on the convenience store worker.
The most common pattern for をよそに to follow is that (A) expresses some overall situation, while (B) indicates an action that is being done without any thought or care given toward those circumstances. Because of this, it is often used critically about actions that are seen as irresponsible.
Caution
While this grammar point will primarily highlight the actions of people, it will not be used to refer to the speaker's own actions.
  • (わたし)両親(りょうしん)反対(はんのう)をよそに(かれ)結婚(けっこん)することにした。
    Ignoring my parents' objections, I decided to marry him. (Unnatural Japanese)

Examples

  • (はは)心配(しんぱい)をよそに(かれ)商船(しょうせん)船員(せんいん)になった。

    Ignoring his mother's worries, he has become a merchant seaman.

  • メアリーと(たけし)(おや)反対(はんたい)をよそに一緒(いっしょ)なった。

    Ignoring objections from their parents, Mary and Takeshi got together.

  • (わたし)たちその衝撃的(しょうげきてき)言葉(ことば)意味(いみ)まだ()()めてないのをよそに彼女(かのじょ)説明(せつめい)(つづ)けた。

    Ignoring that we still haven't digested the meaning of her shocking remark, she continued the explanation.

  • ピーターは(まわ)りの忠告(ちゅうこく)をよそに、MMORPGゲームばかりすることを存分(ぞんぶん)(たの)しんだ。

    Ignoring the advice of those close to him, Peter does nothing but play MMORPG games to his heart's content

  • 地域(ちいき)住民(じゅうみん)反対(はんたい)(こえ)をよそに自治体(じちたい)空港(くうこう)建設(けんせつ)計画(けいかく)(すす)めている。

    Ignoring the voices of opposition, the local government carries forward the plan of airport construction.

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