1.
other people's affairs, someone else's problem
Something that concerns others but not oneself; treating something as if it doesn't affect you.
他人事ではない。
This is not someone else's problem.
他人事 refers to matters that concern other people but not oneself. It's often used when criticizing someone for not taking something seriously.
READINGS:
- ひとごと: standard reading
- たにんごと: also acceptable, less common
COMMON EXPRESSIONS:
- 他人事ではない (it's not someone else's problem; it concerns me too)
- 他人事のように (as if it were someone else's problem)
- 他人事と思う (to think of something as not one's concern)
USAGE NOTE:
Often used negatively to describe someone who doesn't show appropriate concern or empathy.