に反して — Against Expectation
Indicates that a result or situation runs counter to some expectation, prediction, rule, or wish: 'contrary to / against'. It is often used with nouns like 予想, 期待, 予測, ルール, and 意志. It is formal and highlights a gap between what was anticipated and what actually happened.
Structure
[Noun] + に反して／に反し（に反する／に反した + Noun）
Examples
予想に反して、試合はあっさり終わった。
Yosou ni hanshite, shiai wa assari owatta.
Contrary to expectations, the match ended quickly.
に反して marks the outcome as opposite to 予想 (expectation)
彼は親の期待に反して、進学しなかった。
Kare wa oya no kitai ni hanshite, shingaku shinakatta.
Against his parents' expectations, he did not go on to higher education.
に反して contrasts the result with the 期待 (expectations)
規則に反する行為は罰せられる。
Kisoku ni hansuru koui wa basserareru.
Acts that violate the rules will be punished.
に反する + Noun modifies 行為 (acts that go against the rules)
• Register: formal/written. • Common partner nouns: 予想, 期待, 予測, 意志, ルール, 規則. • に反する／に反した are the attributive forms; に反する often means 'violating (rules)'.
Commonly confused with
The JLPT rarely asks whether you recognise a pattern — it asks which of several similar patterns fits. These are the ones に反して is tested against.
vs に対して
に対して (contrast use) neutrally places two things side by side; に反して specifically means the result went against an expectation or rule.
vs にもかかわらず
にもかかわらず means 'despite / even though' (concession); に反して stresses that the outcome was the opposite of what was expected.
More formal expressions
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