にかまけてAbsorbed in one thing and neglecting another
Says that someone gives so much attention to one matter that another task, responsibility, or part of life is neglected. It usually conveys criticism, regret, or a warning about misplaced priorities.
The two-part meaning
The noun before the pattern names what captures the person's attention. The following clause then states or clearly implies what was neglected, delayed, or handled poorly. A particularly established combination is 忙しさにかまけて, but work, entertainment, success, family duties, and many other absorbing concerns can fill the same slot.
Regret and criticism
The construction can criticize someone else or acknowledge one's own failure.
忙しさにかまけて、家族への連絡を怠ってしまった。
I got so caught up in being busy that I neglected to contact my family.
AnalyzeThis is self-critical: being busy was real, but the speaker does not present it as a sufficient justification.
彼はゲームにかまけて、提出期限を何度も逃している。
He is so absorbed in gaming that he has repeatedly missed submission deadlines.
AnalyzeThe criticism comes from the clear conflict between the absorbing activity and a responsibility.
Absorption does not have to be deliberate
The person need not be inventing an excuse or consciously exploiting the situation. Genuine distraction or excessive concentration is enough. The first activity may even be legitimate; the criticism is that it was allowed to crowd out another responsibility.
Packaging an activity with a verb
目先の売上を伸ばすことにかまけて、顧客との信頼関係を軽視してはならない。
We must not become so preoccupied with increasing immediate sales that we disregard our relationship of trust with customers.
AnalyzeHere the absorbing concern is an activity, so the verb phrase is followed by こと.
More examples
研究にかまけて、食事も睡眠も不規則になっていた。
I had become so absorbed in my research that both my meals and sleep had become irregular.
Analyze彼女は趣味にかまけて、共同作業の連絡を後回しにしている。
She is so occupied with her hobby that she keeps putting off communication about the group project.
Analyze目前の利益にかまけて、安全確認を怠ってはならない。
We must not become so preoccupied with immediate profits that we neglect safety checks.
Analyze会議の準備にかまけて、お客様への返信が遅れてしまいました。
Meeting preparations took so much attention that the reply to the customer was delayed.
Analyze子どもの世話をすることにかまけて、自分の通院を先延ばしにしていた。
Caring for the children took so much attention that my own medical appointments kept being postponed.
Analyze新作の開発にかまけて、既存の利用者への対応がおろそかになっていた。
The team had become so absorbed in developing the new product that support for existing users was being neglected.
Analyze