というより(は) (toiuyori ha)
not so much ~ as; more accurately described as something else
Meaning & usage
というより(は) reframes a first description as inaccurate and offers a better one, meaning not so much X as Y. It follows nouns and the plain form of verbs and adjectives, as in 学生というより or 疲れたというより, and the second description often pairs with むしろ for emphasis. The は adds contrast but does not change the core meaning, and という stays in hiragana because it functions as part of a fixed expression.
Example sentences 4
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彼は学者というよりもむしろ流行作家だ。
He is not so much a scholar as a popular writer.
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ナンシーはおとなしいというよりはむしろ親切である。
Nancy is kind rather than gentle.
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彼は、教師というよりむしろ学者である。
He is a scholar rather than a teacher.
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彼は学者というよりは教師だ。
He is more a teacher than a scholar.