Heedless of: 〜をよそに
Noun + をよそに
Noun (other people's worry, opposition, expectations) + をよそに: acting without regard for it, often seen critically. For an obstacle bravely defied, it's をものともせず.
In short
〜をよそに: acting while ignoring other people's worries, criticism or expectations, “heedless of, in defiance of”. よそ is “elsewhere, what's none of our business”: you treat as foreign something that ought to concern you. The sentence often carries a critical or astonished view. Written, journalistic style.
- 親の心配をよそに、彼は一人で海外へ旅立った。おやのしんぱいをよそに、かれはひとりでかいがいへたびだった。Heedless of his parents' worries, he set off abroad on his own.
- 住民の反対をよそに、工事は強行された。じゅうみんのはんたいをよそに、こうじはきょうこうされた。The works were pushed through in defiance of residents' opposition.
- 周囲の期待をよそに、彼は家業を継がずに画家の道を選んだ。しゅういのきたいをよそに、かれはかぎょうをつがずにがかのみちをえらんだ。Ignoring the expectations of those around him, he didn't take over the family business and chose to become a painter.
The basics
よそ refers to “elsewhere”, what doesn't concern us (よその人, “an outsider”). 〜をよそに amounts to saying: “treating X as someone else's business”. X is what others feel or express: worry, opposition, criticism, expectations, commotion.
The person acting brushes it aside, and the speaker often notes this with disapproval or astonishment. It's an outside view, typical of a press article.
Heedless of his parents' worries, he set off on his own.
- noun
- grammatical form
- other
- verb
- 親の心配をよそに、彼は一人で旅立った。おやのしんぱいをよそに、かれはひとりでたびだった。Heedless of his parents' worries, he set off on his own.
- 批判の声をよそに、社長は強気の姿勢を崩さない。ひはんのこえをよそに、しゃちょうはつよきのしせいをくずさない。Shrugging off the criticism, the CEO is sticking to his hard line.
How to form it
Noun + をよそに. The noun almost always refers to other people's reaction or state of mind. What follows describes what the subject does regardless.
| Typical noun | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 心配・不安 | worry | 家族の心配をよそに |
| 反対・批判 | opposition, criticism | 住民の反対をよそに |
| 期待 | expectations | 周囲の期待をよそに |
| 騒ぎ・混乱 | commotion around | 世間の騒ぎをよそに |
- 世間の騒ぎをよそに、当の本人は涼しい顔をしている。せけんのさわぎをよそに、とうのほんにんはすずしいかおをしている。While everyone else is in a flap, the man himself looks completely unruffled.
- 株価の急落をよそに、金の価格は上がり続けている。かぶかのきゅうらくをよそに、きんのかかくはあがりつづけている。Unaffected by the stock-market plunge, the price of gold keeps climbing.
をよそに, をものともせず or もかまわず?
をものともせず overcomes a formidable obstacle (an injury, a storm) with courage: the speaker admires. をよそに ignores what others think: the speaker often disapproves. The same act can be seen from both angles, but the noun isn't the same: an obstacle for one, other people's reaction for the other.
もかまわず (N2) is more neutral and more common: “without worrying about” (人目もかまわず泣く). にもかかわらず simply notes a contradiction, without judging.
| Expression | What's ignored | Speaker's view |
|---|---|---|
| 〜をよそに | other people's feelings, views | critical or astonished |
| 〜をものともせず | a formidable obstacle | admiring |
| 〜もかまわず | people's eyes, the consequences | neutral |
| 〜にもかかわらず | a contrary fact | neutral, observation |
- 彼女は人目もかまわず泣き出した。かのじょはひとめもかまわずなきだした。She burst into tears, not caring who saw.
- 雨にもかかわらず、多くの人が集まった。あめにもかかわらず、おおくのひとがあつまった。Despite the rain, lots of people gathered.
Common mistakes
- Using it for your own worries: “×自分の不安をよそに” doesn't work; よそに is about other people's feelings or views.
- Using it with a physical obstacle to overcome (rain, an injury): that's the territory of をものともせず.
- Missing the hint of reproach: saying a hero acted 周囲の心配をよそに mainly highlights their recklessness.
7 exercises on this point
Particles to choose, sentences to put back in order, translations: marked straight away, then reviewed at the right time. This JLPT N1 point is on the Tōkaidō Line (The press and current affairs) of the Shinkansen.