～というより — Rather Than, More Like
Used to correct or refine a description: rather than calling something A, it is more accurate to call it B. The speaker rejects the first (often expected) characterization in favor of a more precise one. It corresponds to 'more like ~ than ~' or 'rather than'.
Structure
[Plain form / Noun / な-adj] + というより + (むしろ) [more accurate statement]
Examples
彼は優しいというより、ただ気が弱いだけだ。
Kare wa yasashii to iu yori, tada ki ga yowai dake da.
Rather than kind, he's just spineless.
というより rejects '優しい' and offers the more accurate '気が弱い'.
これは趣味というより仕事に近い。
Kore wa shumi to iu yori shigoto ni chikai.
This is more like work than a hobby.
というより contrasts the two nouns, favoring the second as more fitting.
今日は寒いというより、むしろ涼しくて気持ちいい。
Kyou wa samui to iu yori, mushiro suzushikute kimochi ii.
Rather than cold, today is pleasantly cool.
というより pairs with むしろ to emphasize the corrected description.
• Often followed by むしろ ('rather') to strengthen the correction. • Both sides are usually similar in meaning; the speaker picks the more precise one. • Register: neutral, common in conversation and writing.
Commonly confused with
The JLPT rarely asks whether you recognise a pattern — it asks which of several similar patterns fits. These are the ones ～というより is tested against.
vs ～より
Plain より simply compares two things ('A is more than B'), while というより corrects a way of describing something ('not so much A as B').
vs ～ではなく
ではなく flatly negates A ('not A but B'), whereas というより softens it to 'A isn't quite right; B is closer'.
More comparison
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