Posted inN3 Grammar

Mastering に反して (に反して): Expressing “Contrary To” in Japanese

Posted inN3 Grammar
Japanese Grammar Template
Meaning & Usage

✨ Basic Meaning

“Contrary to,” “against,” “in contrast with.”

🎯 Primary Function

To indicate that a result, action, or fact goes against a preceding expectation, rule, order, prediction, or established norm.

📋 Grammar Structure

Noun + に反して

🎭 Usage Contexts

🏢 Formal Situations

Commonly used.

😊 Informal Situations

Less common, may sound stiff. Simpler expressions like 〜と違って are more frequent.

✍️ Written Language

Very common in articles, reports, and formal documents.

🗣️ Spoken Language

Used, but often reserved for more serious or formal contexts.

💡 Common Applications

Going against expectations/predictions
Used when the actual outcome is the opposite of or different from what was expected or predicted.
Example: 予想に反して、試験は思ったより難しかった。 (Contrary to expectations, the exam was more difficult than I thought.)
Violating rules/orders
Used when an action contradicts or disobeys a rule, law, or instruction.
Example: 校則に反して、生徒は髪を染めた。 (Contrary to school rules, the student dyed their hair.)
Contradicting facts/principles
Used when something conflicts with established facts, principles, or common sense.
Example: 科学的な事実に反する主張をする。 (Make a claim contrary to scientific facts.)
📊
Frequency
Moderate frequency at the JLPT N3 level, particularly in reading.
🎚️
Difficulty
Intermediate (JLPT N3)
Example Sentences
私たちの願いに反して、プロジェクトは失敗に終わった。
Contrary to our wishes, the project ended in failure.
先生の注意に反して、彼はまた同じ間違いを繰り返した。
Contrary to the teacher’s warning, he repeated the same mistake again.
市場の予測に反し、その株価は下落した。
Contrary to market predictions, that stock price fell.
Notes & Nuances

📌 Important Points

Focus on opposition/contradiction
に反して emphasizes that something goes *against* or *opposes* the preceding noun (expectation, rule, etc.), often implying a negative or unexpected outcome.
Example: 予想に反して (contrary to expectations) clearly states the result went against what was anticipated.
Noun usage
It almost exclusively connects to nouns. If you want to use a verb, it typically becomes Verb (plain form) + の + に反して, though this is less common than Noun + に反して and might be considered slightly above N3.
Example: 彼の言ったことに反して… (Contrary to what he said…) using 言ったこと as a noun phrase.

⚠️ Common Mistakes

❌ Using it with adjectives directly.
✅ It connects to nouns. Adjectives need to be nominalized or a noun related to the adjective should be used.
You cannot say 「大きいことに反して」. You would need something like 「大きさ（という事実）に反して」.
❌ Confusing it with simple contrast.
✅ While it shows contrast, it specifically means going *against* something, not just being different *from* something.
「彼は兄と違って静かだ」 (He is quiet unlike his brother) shows contrast. 「彼は兄の忠告に反して危険な道を選んだ」 (Contrary to his brother’s advice, he chose a dangerous path) shows going against.

🏛️ Cultural Context

Politeness Level: Generally formal or standard.
Social Situations: Used when discussing outcomes, rules, or facts, often in somewhat serious contexts. Less frequent in casual chat.
Regional Variations: Standard Japanese, no significant regional variations.

🔍 Subtle Differences

〜に反して vs 〜と違って
〜に反して implies going *against* or *opposing* something (expectation, rule, etc.), often with a negative or unexpected outcome. 〜と違って simply states a difference or contrast between two things.
When to use: Use 〜に反して when something acts in opposition to a preceding noun. Use 〜と違って for simple comparisons stating differences.
〜に反して vs 〜に対して
〜に反して means “contrary to / against”. 〜に対して can mean “towards / against (someone)” or “in contrast with (regarding two things being compared)”.
When to use: Use 〜に反して when something contradicts an expectation, rule, etc. Use 〜に対して for actions directed towards someone or a neutral comparison of two distinct things.
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📝 Conjugation Notes

Connects directly to nouns. When used with verbs, the plain form + の + に反して is sometimes seen, but Noun + に反して is the standard and most common N3 form.

🔊 Pronunciation Tips

Pronounced “ni han shite”. The に (ni) is pronounced clearly. はん (han) is a single mora. して (shite) follows standard pronunciation.

🧠 Memory Tips

Think of 反 (han) meaning “opposite” or “anti”. So, に反して means “in the opposite direction of / against” the preceding noun.

Practice Exercises
試験の結果は、私の（　　）に反して、とても悪かった。
努力
希望
予想
勉強
彼は会社の（　　）に反して、無断で欠勤した。
目標
方針
期待
規則
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