〜というより: 'More Than That, Rather...' (Meaning + Examples)
Correcting a description with a better one
〜というより follows a word or phrase that's a reasonable first guess, then hands you the real, more precise answer — often with a nuance of "actually, no, it's more like...".
やったんは優しいというより、努力家だ。
やったんは やさしいというより、どりょくかだ。
Rather than say Yattan is kind, he's more of a hard worker.
優しい is corrected to a more precise 努力家.
嫌いというより、苦手なんです。
きらいというより、にがてなんです。
It's not so much that I dislike it — I'm just not good at it.
Softens a blunt word (嫌い) into a gentler, more accurate one (苦手).
モチは怒っているというより、驚いているだけだと思う。
モチは おこっているというより、おどろいているだけだと おもう。
I don't think Mochi is angry — I think he's just surprised.
Common pattern: emotion word A というより emotion word B.
What it attaches to
〜というより follows the plain form of verbs, い-adjectives, な-adjectives, and nouns.
| Attaches to | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | 名詞 + というより | 天才というより努力家だ |
| い-adjective | 形容詞 + というより | 難しいというより面倒だ |
| な-adjective | 〜（だ） + というより | 得意というより好きなだけだ |
| Verb (plain) | 動詞 + というより | 好きというより、必要だからやる |
この問題は難しいというより、面倒くさいだけだ。
このもんだいは むずかしいというより、めんどくさいだけだ。
This problem isn't so much hard as it is just a pain.
Don't confuse with 〜に比べて
〜に比べて (compared to) compares two separate things against each other, while 〜というより corrects or refines how you describe one and the same thing. 兄に比べて弟は背が高い (compared to his brother, the younger one is taller) compares two people; 天才というより努力家だ (more a hard worker than a genius) is one person described two ways.
The short version
- 〜というより = "rather than say [A], [B] is more accurate."
- Attaches to: plain-form nouns, verbs, and い/な-adjectives.
- Nuance/register: self-correction — replaces an expected word with a truer one.
- Don't confuse with: 〜に比べて, which compares two different things rather than refining one description.
Practice it
Choose というより when the sentence corrects a description with a more accurate one.
＿＿＿に入れるのに最もよいものを選びなさい。
＿＿＿、努力家だ。
More N2 grammar to explore
Keep going with related patterns at the same level:
- 〜限り — 〜限り marks the outer limit of something — 'as long as / as far as ~ is concerned' when attached to a clause with に関する限り(では), or 'every last bit of' in set phrases like あらん限り. Both readings trace back to 限る, 'to be limited to.'
- 〜ては — 〜ては attaches to the て-form and links to a following verb to describe a repeating back-and-forth cycle — 食べては寝る生活 ('a life of eating then sleeping, over and over'). It can also mark an undesirable 'if X, then Y' consequence.
- 〜からには — 〜からには means 'now that... / since...' — given a decision or situation is already true, the speaker draws a strong obligation or determined conclusion from it. Attaches after the plain form of a verb; the main clause carries duty, resolve, or advice.
- 〜のも当然だ — 〜のも当然だ attaches to a plain-form clause to mean 'it's only natural that…' or 'no wonder…'. It frames an outcome as an obvious, expected consequence of a stated cause, not a surprise.
- 〜一方で — 〜一方で adds a contrasting side to what you just said, or names a second action happening alongside the first — like 'on the other hand' or 'while also.' Attaches after a plain-form verb, adjective, or noun+である.
- 〜にもかかわらず — にもかかわらず means 'despite / in spite of,' marking a strong contrast between a circumstance and an unexpected outcome (雨にもかかわらず、試合は行われた). It's more formal and emphatic than のに.