Meaning & Usage
✨ Basic Meaning
“Rather than A, B is more accurate/the case.” or “More precisely, B.”
🎯 Primary Function
To introduce a more accurate or preferred interpretation/description of a situation, person, or object, contrasting it with a preceding, less precise statement.
📋 Grammar Structure
Verb (Plain Form) + というより
い-Adjective (Plain Form) + というより
な-Adjective + だ/Ø + というより
Verb/Adjective (Negative Plain Form) + というより
🎭 Usage Contexts
Formal Situations
Acceptable in formal writing or speeches when making a nuanced argument or clarification.
Informal Situations
Very common in daily conversation to correct misunderstandings or offer a clearer viewpoint.
Written Language
Common in essays, articles, and reviews for detailed analysis and clarification.
Spoken Language
Highly frequent, often used with emphasis on the second clause (the true statement).
💡 Common Applications
Refining Descriptions
Used to correct or improve a description, suggesting that the second statement (B) is a more appropriate term or definition than the first (A).
Example: 彼は走るのが速いというより、スタミナがある。 (He doesn’t run fast; rather, he has stamina.)
Comparing Similar Concepts
Used when two concepts are similar but the speaker wants to emphasize that one concept (B) is a better fit than the other (A).
Example: それは愛というより、依存に近い感情だ。(That feeling is not so much love as it is close to dependence.)
Mitigating a Strong Statement
Used to soften a negative or extreme statement (A) by offering a more positive or precise interpretation (B).
Example: 失敗したというより、新しい方法を学んだ。 (Rather than saying I failed, I learned a new method.)
Frequency
High in conversational and written Japanese for detailed explanations.
Difficulty
Intermediate (N3)
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Example Sentences
Example #1
彼は優しいというより、ただ気が弱いだけだ。
Furigana: かれは やさしい というより、ただ きがよわい だけだ。
Romaji: Kare wa yasashii to iu yori, tada ki ga yowai dake da.
English: He is not so much kind as merely weak-willed.
Example #2
これは趣味というより、もはや仕事に近い。
Furigana: これは しゅみ というより、もはや しごと にちかい。
Romaji: Kore wa shumi to iu yori, mohaya shigoto ni chikai.
English: This is not so much a hobby as it is almost a job.
Example #3
それは大変だったというより、むしろ楽しかった。
Furigana: それは たいへんだった というより、むしろ たのしかった。
Romaji: Sore wa taihen datta to iu yori, mushiro tanoshikatta.
English: It wasn’t so much difficult as it was actually enjoyable.
Example #4
この料理は辛いというより、味が薄い。
Furigana: この りょうりは からい というより、あじがうすい。
Romaji: Kono ryōri wa karai to iu yori, aji ga usui.
English: This dish is not spicy; rather, it’s bland (lacks flavor).
Example #5
彼女はきれいだというより、可愛いという言葉が似合う。
Furigana: かのじょは きれい だというより、かわいい という ことばが にあう。
Romaji: Kanojo wa kirei da to iu yori, kawaii to iu kotoba ga niau.
English: She is not so much beautiful as she is better described as cute.
Example #6
雪が降っているというより、雨が凍っている感じだ。
Furigana: ゆきがふっている というより、あめがこおっている かんじだ。
Romaji: Yuki ga futte iru to iu yori, ame ga kōtte iru kanji da.
English: It’s not really snowing; it feels more like the rain is freezing.
Example #7
彼は怒っているというより、困っているようだ。
Furigana: かれは おこっている というより、こまっている ようだ。
Romaji: Kare wa okotte iru to iu yori, komatte iru yō da.
English: He doesn’t seem so much angry as he seems troubled.
Example #8
留学は大変だというより、毎日が新しい発見だ。
Furigana: りゅうがくは たいへん だというより、まいにちが あたらしい はっけん だ。
Romaji: Ryūgaku wa taihen da to iu yori, mainichi ga atarashii hakken da.
English: Studying abroad is not so much difficult as it is a new discovery every day.
Example #9
成功したというより、運が良かっただけかもしれない。
Furigana: せいこうした というより、うんがよかった だけかもしれない。
Romaji: Seikō shita to iu yori, un ga yokatta dake kamoshirenai.
English: I don’t think I succeeded; it might just be that I was lucky.
Example #10
その建物は古いというより、歴史的価値がある。
Furigana: その たてものは ふるい というより、れきしてき かちが ある。
Romaji: Sono tatemono wa furui to iu yori, rekishiteki kachi ga aru.
English: That building is not so much old as it has historical value.
Notes & Nuances
📌 Important Points
The Second Clause is the Preferred Truth
The second part of the sentence (B) is always presented as the more truthful, precise, or appropriate description compared to the first part (A).
Example: 大変だというより、毎日が挑戦だ。 (Rather than saying it’s difficult, every day is a challenge.)
Nuance of Insight/Correction
The sentence often carries a nuance of correction or insight, often revealing a deeper truth about the situation or person.
Example: 彼は怒っているというより、寂しいのだ。(He isn’t angry; rather, he is lonely.)
Common in Clarification/Response
Often used in response to a question or assumption to immediately refine the premise of the conversation.
Example: A: 「あの人は歌手ですか？」 B: 「歌手というより、ボイストレーナーですよ。」 (A: Is that person a singer? B: Not exactly a singer; he’s a vocal trainer.)
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❌ 使えませんというより、まだ慣れていない。
✅ 使えないというより、まだ慣れていない。
The entire phrase before というより must be in the plain form (dictionary form, ta-form, or nai-form).
❌ 彼女は美人でというより、愛らしい。
✅ 彼女は美人というより、愛らしい。
Nouns and Na-adjectives can omit the copula だ when preceding というより, especially in spoken Japanese. Including だ (e.g., 美人だというより) is also correct but slightly more formal.
❌ 私は疲れているより、眠い。
✅ 私は疲れているというより、眠い。
というより implies a choice between two accurate statements, emphasizing the second one. Using より alone means “more than,” which changes the meaning to a simple comparison.
🏛️ Cultural Context
Politeness Level: Neutral. The politeness of the sentence is determined by the final predicate, not by the grammar pattern itself.
Social Situations: Used widely when providing a careful or nuanced answer, especially when a direct, simple answer would be misleading.
Regional Variations: Standard Japanese; universally understood.
🔍 Subtle Differences
というより vs. むしろ
というより introduces the correction, while むしろ (‘rather’) is an adverb that emphasizes the degree of the following element. They are often used together (e.g., 〜というより、むしろ〜).
When to use: Use むしろ when you want to strongly emphasize the contrast; use というより when the focus is on clarifying the description itself.
というより vs. というのは
というのは defines or explains a term (A means B). というより refines a term, arguing that B is a better fit than A.
When to use: Use というのは for definition; use というより for correction/refinement.
というより vs. ばかりでなく
ばかりでなく means “not only A, but also B,” adding information. というより means “not A, but rather B,” replacing or refining A.
When to use: Use ばかりでなく for addition; use というより for comparison and substitution.
📝 Conjugation Notes
The particle ‘より’ (yori) means “than” in comparisons, and the phrase ‘と(いう)’ (to iu) means “it is said that” or “the fact that.” Combined, ‘というより’ literally means “rather than saying that…” or “more so than the statement…” and links the preceding plain-form clause to the succeeding, more accurate clause.
🔊 Pronunciation Tips
The pitch accent naturally falls on the first syllable of ‘より’ (yo-RI). Pause slightly after ‘というより’ to emphasize the importance of the clarification that follows.
🧠 Memory Tips
Think of ‘というより’ as ‘to say (という) rather than (より)’. Visualize a mental scale where the first idea (A) is near the middle, but the second idea (B) is pointed out as being much closer to the truth.
Other Grammar
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