むしろ (mushiro)
むしろ — rather, if anything
Pattern
-
AというよりむしろBA というより むしろ B -
AどころかむしろB／AよりむしろBA どころか むしろ B
Meaning
彼は学者というよりむしろ芸術家だ means he could be called a scholar, but he is more an artist. 面倒どころか、むしろ楽しい states the opposite (fun) of what was expected (a bother).
Notes
A softer version of 'B is better than A,' showing the speaker's judgment that B fits more than A. A form like AくらいならむしろB also exists. A and B concern the same topic with opposing content.
Examples
-
彼（かれ）は学者（がくしゃ）というより、むしろ芸術家（げいじゅつか）だ。
Kare wa gakusha to iu yori, mushiro geijutsuka da.
He's not so much a scholar as rather an artist.
-
掃除（そうじ）は面倒（めんどう）どころか、むしろ楽（たの）しい。
Sōji wa mendō dokoro ka, mushiro tanoshii.
Cleaning isn't a bother; if anything, it's fun.
-
安（やす）い物（もの）を買（か）うより、むしろ長（なが）く使（つか）える物（もの）を選（えら）びたい。
Yasui mono o kau yori, mushiro nagaku tsukaeru mono o erabitai.
Rather than buying cheap things, I'd sooner choose ones that last a long time.
Common mistakes
- It sounds odd without something to compare with; put the comparison first.
- むしろ does not mean 'more.' It is not a word that raises a degree.
More grammar points
- ばよかった ～ばよかった — I should have ～, if only I had ～
- ばかりで ～ばかりで — only ～ (and nothing else, with a negative feeling)
- ばかりでなく ～ばかりでなく — not only ～ but also ～
- だけでなく ～だけでなく — not only ～ but also ～
- だけど だけど — but, however (casual)
- ふりをする ～ふりをする — pretending to ～
- 一方（いっぽう）だ ～一方だ — keeps ～ing in one direction
- 一体（いったい） 一体 — what on earth ～ (emphasizing a question)
- じゃない ～じゃない — isn't it ～! (surprise or confirmation)
- か何（なに）か ～か何か — ～ or something
- 代（か）わりに ～代わりに — instead of ～, in return for ～
- 結局（けっきょく） 結局 — in the end, after all
- きり ～きり — only ～; ever since ～
- っけ ～っけ — was it ～? (recalling)
- ことになっている ～ことになっている — it is the rule or plan that ～
- ことは～が ～ことは～が — it is true that ～, but ～
- くせに ～くせに — even though ～ (with reproach)
- も～ば～も A も ～ば B も ～ — both A and B
Practice this in the app
Mainichi JLPT turns these grammar points into daily quizzes and a readiness gauge — 100% free, no sign-up.