かと言うと (kato uto)

Meaning & usage

You would think that ~ but (that is not right) | A conjunction to indicate the speaker's assertion that a popular belief is not right.

Example sentences 6

1. ボストンでの車なしの生活が不便だったかと言うと、全然そうではなかったんです。

   You'd think that my life without a car in Boston must have been inconvenient, but it wasn't at all.

2. 大学の時にいい成績の学生が社会で成功するかと言うと、必ずしもそうではないようだ。

   You'd think that a college student with good grades would be successful in society, but that doesn't always seem to be the case.

3. 日本に行って、二、三年住めば日本語が上手になるかと言うと、そうでもないようだ。かえって下手になることもある。

   You'd think that if you went to Japan and lived there for a few years, your Japanese would become good, but that doesn't seem to be true. On the contrary, your Japanese may become worse than before.

4. 日本人はみんな寿司が好きかと言うと、そうではない。嫌いな人もいる。

   You would think that all the Japanese like sushi, but that is not true. Some Japanese don't like it.

5. 日本語は難しいかと言うと、話したり聞いたりすることはそんなに難しくない。

   You'd think that Japanese would be hard, but speaking and listening are not that hard.

6. 毎日運動をすれば長生きをするかと言うと、そうでもなさそうだ。

   You'd think that if you did exercise every day, you would live long, but that does not seem to be true.