Japanese from zero · N3 Lesson 18
Compared to
〜に比べて ・ 〜に反して ・ 〜というより ・ むしろ
In this lesson, you will learn to compare places with 〜に比べて, to say that things went against what everyone expected with 〜に反して, and to swap a word for a better one with 〜というより and むしろ. At the end of August Minju comes back from Seoul, and the friends compare Seoul, Tokyo, Osaka and Seattle; between Minju and Lisa, everything is polite.
By the end you will be able to say
ソウルの 夏は 東京に 比べて、少し 涼しいです。Summer in Seoul is a little cooler than in Tokyo.
予想に 反して、ミンジュは 元気でした。Contrary to what we expected, Minju was cheerful.
シアトルは 雨の 都市 というより、晴れの 都市です。Seattle is not so much a city of rain as a city of sun.
私は 夏より むしろ 冬が 好きです。If anything, I like winter better than summer.
天気予報に 反して、今日は 晴れました。Contrary to the weather forecast, it was sunny today.
The grammar in this lesson
- 〜に比べて — compared with — Noun + に 比べて compares one thing with another: 東京に 比べて (compared with Tokyo).
- 〜に反して — contrary to — Noun + に 反して says the result went against an expectation, a forecast or a hope.
- 〜というより — not so much X as Y — X というより Y says that Y describes something better than X does.
- むしろ — rather, if anything — むしろ says that, of two things, the second fits better, often against what you expect.