Japatan
Formation
- N + をよそに
Explanation
N をよそに means someone acts, or something proceeds, without paying any attention to N. N is usually a noun for people's feelings or the surrounding situation, such as 心配 (worry), 反対 (opposition), 期待 (expectation) or 不安 (anxiety). It often carries a slightly critical or exasperated tone, but it can also mean simply 'unaffected by' a situation, as in sales growing despite a bad economy. It is mainly written style.
Examples
親の心配をよそに、弟は毎晩遅くまでゲームをしている。
Paying no heed to our parents' worry, my younger brother plays games until late every night.
周囲の反対をよそに、彼女は会社を辞めて留学した。
Ignoring the opposition of those around her, she quit her company and went abroad to study.
住民の不安をよそに、工事は予定通り進められた。
Despite the residents' concerns, the construction went ahead as planned.
不景気をよそに、この店の売り上げは伸び続けている。
Unaffected by the recession, this shop's sales keep growing.
Notes
It is rarely used for the speaker's own actions; it normally describes other people or things. Compared with にもかかわらず, it stresses that the person does not care about N at all.
Related grammar
Mini quiz
1家族の心配（ ）、父は雨の中を釣りに出かけた。
Answer and explanation
Answer: 1 をよそに
"Ignoring his family's worry, my father went fishing in the rain." をよそに means without caring about N. をもとに (based on), を通じて (through) and をめぐって (concerning) do not fit.
2周りの騒がしさ（ ）、赤ちゃんはぐっすり眠っている。
Answer and explanation
Answer: 2 をよそに
"Paying no attention to the noise around it, the baby is sleeping soundly." をこめて (with feeling), をかねて (also serving as) and をきっかけに (triggered by) do not make sense here.
3「をよそに」の使い方がいちばん正しい文はどれですか。
Answer and explanation
Answer: 3 町の人々の期待をよそに、新しい駅の計画は中止になった。
3 means "Despite the townspeople's hopes, the plan for the new station was cancelled." In 1, 2 and 4 there is nothing being disregarded, so をよそに makes no sense.
