傍観者(ぼうかんしゃ)

ぼうかんしゃ
noun
bystander; onlooker; spectator
1. bystander; onlooker; spectator
A person who watches events unfold without getting involved. Often carries a negative nuance of passivity or indifference.
傍観者(ぼうかんしゃ)でいるな。
Don't just be a bystander.
彼(かれ)はいつも傍観者(ぼうかんしゃ)の立場(たちば)を取(と)る。
He always takes the position of an onlooker.
事故(じこ)の現場(げんば)には多(おお)くの傍観者(ぼうかんしゃ)が集(あつ)まっていた。
Many onlookers had gathered at the scene of the accident.

Describes someone who watches a situation without participating or intervening. Unlike neutral words for spectator, 傍観者(ぼうかんしゃ) often implies a moral judgment — the person could or should act but chooses not to.

FORMATION:
傍(ぼう) (beside) + 観(かん) (watch) + 者(しゃ) (person)

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 傍観者(ぼうかんしゃ)でいる: to remain a bystander
  • 傍観者(ぼうかんしゃ)の立場(たちば): the stance of an onlooker
  • 傍観者(ぼうかんしゃ)効果(こうか): the bystander effect
  • ただの傍観者(ぼうかんしゃ): merely a spectator

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • 見物人(けんぶつにん): spectator, sightseer — neutral, used for entertainment or events
  • 野次馬(やじうま): rubbernecker — curious onlooker drawn to incidents, more colloquial
  • 観客(かんきゃく): audience, spectator — specifically for shows, sports, and performances
general
Added 2026.3.29 21:11
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