Lesson 187: を よそに・を ものとも せず・を 踏まえて・に 即して

N1 · Lesson 187 · 18 min — Ignoring, defying, taking into account, following: on the final hearing day, Grandpa still visits the tree!

Last lesson, Rin read the top half of Hana's last page and cried all night. This lesson has four formal patterns: をよそに (regardless of ~), をものともせず (not afraid of ~), を踏ふまえて (taking ~ into account), and に即そくして / にのっとって (in line with ~). The ward assembly's final hearing is about to begin. Let's start with the comic!

After this lesson, you can:

• Use をよそに to say "regardless of ~ (other people's worry or opposition)": みんなの 心配しんぱいを よそに
• Use をものともせず to say "not letting (a difficulty) stop you": 寒さむさを ものとも せず
• Use を踏ふまえて to say "based on ~ / taking ~ into account": 意見いけんを 踏ふまえて
• Use に即そくして / にのっとって to say "in line with (facts, rules)": 法ほうに 即そくして

Final Hearing Day

Late March. The final hearing that will decide the tree's fate has arrived. (審議しんぎ= deliberation, 住民じゅうみん= residents, 判断はんだん= judgment, 満腹まんぷく= full stomach)

をよそに = ignoring other people; をものともせず = not afraid of difficulty; を踏ふまえて = taking ~ into account; に即そくして = in line with ~. The result comes tomorrow. Can you sleep tonight?

Words for this lesson: hearings, and "regardless of / in line with"

• 〜を よそに (o yoso ni): regardless of ~, ignoring ~ (other people's worry or opposition)
• 〜を ものとも せず（に） (o monotomo sezu (ni)): not letting ~ stop you, not afraid of ~ (bravely overcoming)
• 〜を 踏ふまえて (o fumaete): based on ~, taking ~ into account
• 〜に 即そくして (ni sokushite): in line with ~, true to ~ (facts, real situations, law)
• 〜に のっとって (ni nottotte): following ~ (rules, tradition, law)
• 審議しんぎ (shingi): deliberation (a formal discussion by an assembly)
• 区議会くぎかい (kugikai): ward assembly
• 住民じゅうみん (jūmin): residents
• 法ほう (hō): law
• 判断はんだんする (handan suru): judgment, making a decision
• 満腹まんぷく (manpuku): full stomach, stuffed
• 食堂しょくどう (shokudō): cafeteria, dining hall (for staff or students)
• 騒さわぎ (sawagi): noise, commotion
• ケガ (kega): injury
• 困難こんなん (konnan): difficulty
• 選手せんしゅ (senshu): athlete, player
• 前回ぜんかい (zenkai): last time
• 反省はんせい (hansei): reflection, review of what went wrong
• 提案ていあん (teian): proposal, suggestion
• 議論ぎろん (giron): discussion, debate
• 案あん (an): plan, proposal
• 事実じじつ (jijitsu): fact
• 状況じょうきょう (jōkyō): situation, circumstances
• 伝統でんとう (dentō): tradition
• 行おこなう (okonau): to hold, to carry out (written style)
• 式しき (shiki): ceremony
• 痛いたみ (itami): pain (the noun form of 痛いたい)
• 周まわり (mawari): the surroundings, the people around you
• 正ただしい (tadashii): correct

Grammar 1 / 4: をよそに

N + をよそに: regardless of (other people's worry, opposition, hopes), doing your own thing. 家族かぞくの 心配しんぱいを よそに = regardless of the family's worry.

• Form: N + をよそに: Add を よそに right after a noun: 心配しんぱいを よそに, 反対はんたいを よそに.
• Meaning: regardless of ~, ignoring ~: The people around are worried, opposed or expectant, but the person ignores it and does it anyway.
• Put other people's feelings or the surroundings before it: Other people's feelings and reactions are the most common: 心配しんぱい, 反対はんたい, 期待きたい, 注意ちゅうい. The surroundings also work (騒さわぎ). The subject after it is a person or animal who chooses to ignore it and carries on (like the cat that keeps sleeping). If the action after it actually takes the feeling on board, you can't use をよそに. To just say "although it rains", use にもかかわらず. To praise someone for overcoming difficulties like cold or pain, use the next pattern, をものともせず.
• Used to describe other people: Usually the speaker watches someone else from the side, and the tone is often critical or resigned. Saying "I ignore everyone's worry" about yourself is rare.

• 家族かぞくの 心配しんぱいを よそに、祖父そふは 毎日まいにち 木きを 見みに 行いく。 — Regardless of his family's worry, Grandpa goes to see the tree every day.
• 親おやの 反対はんたいを よそに、兄あには 会社かいしゃを 辞やめた。 — Regardless of his parents' opposition, my older brother quit his job.
• 周まわりの 騒さわぎを よそに、猫ねこは 気持きもちよさそうに 寝ねて いる。 — Regardless of the noise around, the cat sleeps comfortably.
• 親おやの 期待きたいを よそに、弟おとうとは 毎日まいにち ゲームばかり して いる。 — Despite his parents' high hopes, my younger brother just plays video games every day.
• 先生せんせいの 注意ちゅういを よそに、熊太くまたは 授業中じゅぎょうちゅうに パンを 食たべた。 — Ignoring the teacher's warning, Kumata ate bread in class.

Grammar 2 / 4: をものともせず

N + をものともせず (に): not letting (a difficulty or obstacle) stop you, bravely doing it. 寒さむさを ものとも せず = not minding the cold at all.

• Form: N + をものともせず (に): せず is the written form of しないで. You can add に or leave it off: 寒さむさを ものとも せず (に).
• Meaning: not letting ~ stop you: Facing difficulty or danger without backing down, and bravely carrying on.
• Tone: praising someone else: It is mostly used to describe what others achieved. Saying "I'm not afraid of ~" about yourself sounds like bragging. In panel 4, Neko-sensei is bragging: stuffed, and he still ate three bowls!
• A statement of fact follows: A sentence stating a fact (something that happened or a habit) follows. Do not follow it with an invitation or command like "Let's ~" or "Please ~", or with your own plans.

• 寒さむさを ものとも せず、祖父そふは 毎朝まいあさ 木きを 見みに 行いく。 — Not minding the cold, Grandpa goes to see the tree every morning.
• 足あしの 痛いたみを ものとも せずに、祖父そふは 坂さかを 登のぼった。 — Not minding his sore leg, Grandpa climbed the slope.
• 強つよい 風かぜを ものとも せず、選手せんしゅたちは 最後さいごまで 走はしった。 — Braving the strong wind, the athletes kept running to the end.
• ケガを ものとも せずに、熊太くまたは 試合しあいに 出でた。 — Not minding his injury, Kumata went out to play in the match.
• 多おおくの 困難こんなんを ものとも せず、二人ふたりは 小ちいさな 店みせを 開ひらいた。 — The two of them overcame many difficulties and opened a small shop.

Grammar 3 / 4: を踏ふまえて

N + を 踏ふまえて: using (an opinion, result or experience) as a base, then making a judgment or plan. 住民じゅうみんの 意見いけんを 踏ふまえて = taking residents' opinions into account.

• Form: N + を 踏ふまえて: Add を 踏ふまえて after a noun. To describe a noun, the most common form is を 踏ふまえた + N: 経験けいけんを 踏ふまえた 提案ていあん.
• Meaning: based on ~, taking ~ into account: Take the opinion, result or experience before it carefully into account, then make the next step.
• Difference from に基もとづいて: に基もとづいて = acting according to that basis (data, rules). を踏ふまえて = taking it into account as a base, then developing something new yourself.
• Used in formal situations: Common in meetings, reports, public hearings and the news. For small chats with friends, を 見みて or を 考かんがえて is enough.

• 住民じゅうみんの 意見いけんを 踏ふまえて、区くが 判断はんだんする。 — The ward office will make its judgment taking residents' opinions into account.
• 前回ぜんかいの 結果けっかを 踏ふまえて、計画けいかくを 変かえました。 — Based on last time's results, we revised the plan.
• 去年きょねんの 経験けいけんを 踏ふまえて、今年ことしは 早はやく 準備じゅんびを 始はじめた。 — Learning from last year's experience, we started preparing early this year.
• 公聴会こうちょうかいの 議論ぎろんを 踏ふまえた 新あたらしい 案あんが 出でた。 — Based on the discussion at the public hearing, a new plan was put forward.
• お客様きゃくさまの 声こえを 踏ふまえて、ツアーを 変かえました。 — Taking our customers' voices into account, we revised the itinerary.

Grammar 4 / 4: に即そくして

N + に 即そくして / にのっとって: doing something in line with (facts, the real situation, law, rules, tradition). 法ほうに 即そくして 判断はんだんする = to judge according to the law.

• Form: N + に 即そくして / にのっとって: The particle is に: 法ほうに 即そくして, ルールに のっとって. To describe a noun: に 即そくした + N, に のっとった + N.
• に 即そくして: staying close to facts and reality: 事実じじつ, 実際じっさい, 状況じょうきょう and 法ほう are common: 実際じっさいの 状況じょうきょうに 即そくした 計画けいかく (a plan that fits the real situation).
• にのっとって: following rules and tradition: ルール, 伝統でんとう and 法ほう are common. It is often used for formally holding ceremonies or matches: 伝統でんとうに のっとって 式しきを 行おこなう (hold a ceremony according to tradition).
• Not a person before it: The standard must be something like facts or rules. To do as a certain person says, use "〜の 説明せつめいの とおりに".

• 区くは 法ほうに 即そくして 判断はんだんします。 — The ward office will make its decision according to the law.
• 事実じじつに 即そくして、正ただしく 書かいて ください。 — Please write it accurately, following the facts.
• 実際じっさいの 状況じょうきょうに 即そくした 計画けいかくが 必要ひつようだ。 — We need a plan that fits the real situation.
• 伝統でんとうに のっとって、神社じんじゃで 式しきを 行おこなう。 — Following tradition, a ceremony is held at the shrine.
• ルールに のっとって、試合しあいを 始はじめます。 — In accordance with the rules, the match begins.