Introduction
Do you know how to say “Something is closer to B than A,” or “Rather than A, it is more like B” in Japanese?
For example:
- She’s more cute than beautiful.
- Rather than angry, he looks troubled.
When you want to compare two descriptions and say that the second one fits better than the first, Japanese often uses 〜というより.
1. Meaning: What does 〜というより mean?
〜というより means:
- rather than A, (it is) more like B
- instead of saying A, B is more accurate
You use it when comparing two expressions and saying that the second one is closer to the truth.
Core idea
With this pattern:
- A is not completely wrong
- but B fits better
In other words, this grammar does not mean that A is zero or completely false.
It means that B is a better match than A.
For example:
- ナンシーはきれいというよりかわいい。
Nancy is more cute than beautiful.
The writer or speaker of this sentence is not saying that Nancy isn’t beautiful (きれい); rather, they believe that while she has elements of “beauty,” the word “かわいい / cute” better describes her.
2. Formation
Plain form + というより
This grammar attaches to the plain form of verbs, adjectives, and nouns.
Verb
| Pattern | Example | ～というより |
|---|---|---|
| U-verb | 歩く (to walk) | 歩くというより |
| Ru-verb | 食べる (to eat) | 食べるというより |
| Irregular Verb | する (to do) | するというより |
| Irregular Verb | 来る (to come) | 来るというより |
Adjective and Noun
| Pattern | Example | ～というより |
|---|---|---|
| i-adjective | 優しい (kind) | 優しいというより |
| na-adjective | 元気 (energetic) | 元気（だ）というより |
| noun | 家族 (family) | 家族（だ）というより |
While the general rule is to use the plain form, for nouns and na-adjectives, the だ (da) is often omitted. Keeping it is not technically wrong, but dropping it sounds much more natural.
Grammar breakdown
- と (particle)
quotation particle - いう (verb)
literally means “to say” - より (particle)
means “than” and shows comparison
Optional form: 〜というよりも
You will also hear 〜というよりも. The meaning is basically the same.
Adding the particle “も” gives a slight feeling of extra emphasis, but the core meaning does not change.
E.g., 兄は賢いというよりも要領がいい。= My brother isn’t so much smart as he is resourceful.
むしろ: emphasizing “more like B”
In AというよりBだ, “むしろ” can be added to emphasize B. The adverb makes the meaning of “rather / more like B” stronger.
E.g., 兄は賢いというよりむしろ要領がいい。= My brother isn’t so much smart as he is resourceful.
Casual form: ～っていうより / ～というか
In more casual speech, you would say “～っていうより / ～というか”.
E.g., たけしさんはあかるいっていうより（というか）さわがしいね。= Takeshi is more boisterous than cheerful, isn’t he?
3. Useful Examples
Verb + というより
ゆきさんは怒っているというより、困っているようです。
Rather than angry, Yuki looks troubled.
今夜のパーティー、行かないの？
Aren’t you going to the party tonight?
行かないというより、行けないんだ。仕事がいそがしいから。
It’s not that I don’t want to go—I just can’t. I’m too busy with work.
Adjective or Noun + というより
私からすると、今日は涼しいというより、寒いです。
To me, today feels cold rather than just cool.
エマはお母さんと仲良しだよね。先週も一緒に映画を見たらしいよ。
Emma and her mom are really close, aren’t they? I heard they went to see a movie together just last week.
あの二人、親子というより親友みたいだね。
They seem more like best friends than mother and daughter.
4. Sentence-initial というより
Sometimes というより is used as a conjuction at the beginning of a sentence.
どうしたの？つかれた？
What’s wrong? Are you tired?
というより、おなかがすいた。
Or rather, I’m just hungry.
5. Related grammar (comparison)
Expressions containing “～という”
Although these look similar to the grammar we covered this time, their meanings are completely different.
| Example Sentence | Grammar |
|---|---|
| 田中先輩に彼女ができたといううわさ Rumors that Tanaka-Senpai has a girlfriend | …というN / the N that [Sentence] |
| 寝るときに着る服をパジャマと言う The clothes you wear when you sleep are called pajamas. | N1をN2と言う / N1 is called N2 |
| 禁煙というのは、たばこを吸ってはいけないということだ “Kinen” means that you must not smoke. | XというのはYのことだ / X means Y |
| 天気予報によると、明日は雪が降るということです。 According to the weather forecast, it’s supposed to snow tomorrow. | …ということだ / I heard that… |
AよりB / BのほうがAより～
These are used to compare two different things.
Example: I like strawberries better than apples.
- りんごよりいちごが好きです。
- いちごのほうがりんごより好きです。
If you want to review the grammar, read this article: How to Say “N1 is More ~ Than N2” in Japanese | Using N1 no hou ga (のほうが) N2 yori (より)〜
AではなくB
This pattern means “not A, but B.”
- 〜というより → A is not completely wrong, but B fits better
- AではなくB → A is rejected, and B is the correct one
For example: 姉は看護師ではなく外科医です。= My sister isn’t a nurse; she’s a surgeon.
→ In this case, “看護師というより外科医” is unnatural. This is because the speaker’s sister is clearly a surgeon and clearly “not” a nurse.
6. Practice
Translate the following English into Japanese using 〜というより.
| English | Example Answer |
|---|---|
| Rather than quiet, this room feels lonely. | この部屋は静か（だ）というより、さびしい感じがする。 |
| Today feels hot rather than just warm. | 今日は暖かいというより暑いです。 |
| Rather than a teacher, she is more like a friend. | 彼女は先生というより、友だちみたいだ。 |
FAQ
- QWhat is the difference between AよりB and AというよりB?
- A
AよりB is used to compare two different things.
Example: りんごよりみかんがすきだ = I like mandarins better than apples.AというよりB is used to compare two descriptions of the exact same thing or situation.
Example: このカクテルはお酒というよりジュースだ = This cocktail tastes more like juice than alcohol.
- QCan I use 〜というより with the past tense?
- A
Yes, absolutely. You can attach it to the plain past form.
Example: 昨日は暖かいというより暑かった。= Yesterday was hot rather than just warm.
- QIs it okay to use 〜というか instead of 〜というより?
- A
Yes, in casual conversation, 〜というか (to iu ka) is common and has the exact same meaning.
- QWhat does it mean when someone starts a sentence with というより…?
- A
Sometimes, Japanese speakers use it as a conjunction at the beginning of a sentence. It means “Or rather…” or “Actually, it’s more that…”. It is used to correct or adjust a statement that was just made in the conversation.
- A: どうしたの？つかれた？ (What’s wrong? Are you tired?)
- B: というより、ねむたい。 (Or rather, I’m just sleepy.)
Conclusion
In this article, you learned how to use 〜というより to show that B is a more accurate description than A.
With this grammar, you can now:
- compare two descriptions and choose the better one,
- make your Japanese sound more natural and nuanced,
- and use plain-form connections correctly with verbs, adjectives, and nouns.
