synonym Comparative
お宅
VS
他所事
Differences Between "お宅" and "他所事"
Option A
お宅
Meaning
your house/home (polite), someone else's house/home
Reading
おたく (otaku)
Syllabus Level
N3
Practical Example
明日、先生のお宅に伺ってもよろしいでしょうか。
May I visit your (teacher's) house tomorrow?
Option B
他所事
Meaning
someone else's affair, something irrelevant, something not of one's concern
Reading
よそごと (yosogoto)
Syllabus Level
N1
Practical Example
彼は友人の悩みを、まるで他所事のように聞いていた。
He listened to his friend's troubles as if they were someone else's affair.
Which one to use?
Select the correct Japanese word for this context
Which word fits this context: "(your house/home (polite), someone else's house/home)"?
🎉 正解 / Correct!
使い分け解説:
- お宅: A polite way to refer to someone else's house or home. Can also be used to refer to a company (御社 go-sha). Colloquially, 'otaku' also refers to a person with an obsessive interest, but this N3 meaning is strictly about 'house'. The お is an honorific prefix.
- 他所事: 自分には関係ないこと、他人の出来事として関心を持たないことを表します。冷淡な態度を批判的に指すこともあります。/ Expresses something that is not one's own business or a lack of interest in someone else's affairs. It can critically refer to an indifferent attitude.
- お宅: A polite way to refer to someone else's house or home. Can also be used to refer to a company (御社 go-sha). Colloquially, 'otaku' also refers to a person with an obsessive interest, but this N3 meaning is strictly about 'house'. The お is an honorific prefix.
- 他所事: 自分には関係ないこと、他人の出来事として関心を持たないことを表します。冷淡な態度を批判的に指すこともあります。/ Expresses something that is not one's own business or a lack of interest in someone else's affairs. It can critically refer to an indifferent attitude.
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