N1 Completion and Continuation

~そっちのけで: meaning, usage and examples

~そっちのけで means: neglecting... / leaving... aside.

Updated 9 November 2026 · By the My Senpai team · Spotted a mistake? Tell us

Examples

1. 宿題しゅくだいそっちのけで、ゲームばかりしている。

   I'm just playing games, neglecting my homework.

2. 家族かぞくそっちのけで、趣味しゅみに没頭ぼっとうする夫おっとに困こまっている。

   I don't know what to do about my husband, who is absorbed in his hobbies and neglects the family.

3. 子供こどもたちは勉強べんきょうそっちのけで、雪ゆき遊あそびに夢中むちゅうになっている。

   The children have forgotten all about studying and are absorbed in playing in the snow.

4. 議論ぎろんが白熱はくねつして、本来ほんらいの議題ぎだいはそっちのけになった。

   The discussion got so heated that the original agenda was pushed aside.

When to use it

Means ignoring what you should be doing while you focus on something else: "neglecting," "forgetting all about." Example: 「仕事しごとそっちのけで、旅行りょこうの計画けいかくを立たてている」. The neglected thing is usually a duty or the main purpose, and the other activity has taken over completely.

Nuance

Casual to neutral, conversational. Mildly critical or humorous, and often used to complain about family members, students or coworkers. The second part usually says what someone is absorbed in: ばかり, 夢中むちゅうになる, 没頭ぼっとうする. Not used for formal reports.

Compare

をよそに means disregarding others' worries or reactions: 親おやの心配しんぱいをよそに. そっちのけで means neglecting a task or duty for something else: 勉強べんきょうそっちのけで遊あそぶ. はさておき simply sets a topic aside for now, without criticism: 冗談じょうだんはさておき.

Tip: Picture pushing something "off to that side" (そっち). Put the duty you neglect before it and the distraction after it.