📖 Meaning
To place oneself outside of a matter; to remain aloof and show no concern. It describes someone who deliberately stays uninvolved in a situation and refuses to take responsibility or show interest.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase appears in Qing dynasty author Li Baojia's novel 'Wenming Xiaoshi' (A Brief History of Civilization), Chapter 35. In the story, a character named Peng Zhongxiang stands by with arms folded, watching from the sidelines while remaining completely detached from the affair at hand. The expression captures the attitude of treating a matter as none of one's business.
💡 Example Usage
遇到问题时，他总是置身事外，从不主动帮忙解决。
Whenever problems arise, he always stays aloof and never takes the initiative to help solve them.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 置身事外
- Pinyin: zhì shēn shì wài
- Literal Translation: place, self, matter, outside
- Category: Attitude
- Characters: 4