よそよそしい

• Reading: よそよそしい
• Romaji: yosoyososhii
• Pronunciation: /jo.so.jo.so.ɕiː/

Meaning

Distant; cold; aloof; standoffish. Describes behaviour that maintains an awkward, deliberate distance — as if treating a familiar person like a stranger.

An i-adjective formed by reduplicating よそ (elsewhere, another) and adding しい. It captures the discomfort of someone acting formally or coolly toward a person they should be warm with — after a falling-out, for instance, or when someone is deliberately keeping others at arm's length. The nuance is that the distance is affected or deliberate, not natural. It can also describe a cold workplace atmosphere.

Examples

1. 久しぶりに会った友人がよそよそしい態度をとっていたので、何かあったのかと不安になった。 A friend I hadn't seen in a long time was acting distant, which made me worry that something had happened.
2. 口論の後、二人はしばらくよそよそしい関係が続いた。 After the argument, the two of them remained cold and aloof with each other for a while.
3. よそよそしい雰囲気の職場では、チームワークが育ちにくい。 In a standoffish workplace atmosphere, teamwork is difficult to cultivate.

Usage Guide

Context: interpersonal relations, workplace, social awkwardness

Tone: negative

Origin & History

Formed from よそ (another place, outsider) reduplicated with the i-adjective suffix しい. The reduplication intensifies the sense of deliberate otherness — treating one's close circle as if they were strangers from elsewhere.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: General