57878
> "病人のほうが[むしろ/かえって]しっかりしている。"
>
> "三月のほうが[むしろ/かえって]寒かった。"
>
> "強い男性より、[むしろ/かえって]優しい男性が好きだ。"

How to know when both work and when only one can work ?
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-04-10T21:58:40.217
57852
2019-07-25T08:19:40.173
2020-06-17T08:18:27.500
-1
25980
question
word-choice
What is the difference between むしろ and かえって?
> 1) 病人{びょうにん}のほうが[むしろ/かえって]しっかりしている。
>
> 2) 三月{さんがつ}のほうが[むしろ/かえって]寒{さむ}かった。
>
> 3) 強{つよ}い男性{だんせい}より、[むしろ/かえって]優{やさ}しい男性が好{す}きだ。

With 1) and 2), either 「むしろ」 or 「かえって」 can be used. For 3), however, only
using 「むしろ」 would be correct.

That is, of course, unless you have in mind extremely peculiar
contexts/situations for those utterances to occur in that are just beyond my
imagination.

「かえって」 is mainly used to describe a result/effect that is quite opposite to
one's expectations -- " ** _on the contrary_** ".

「むしろ」 is used to express a choice between two items -- " ** _A rather than
B_** ".

For 1) and 2), both meaning would fit without stress.

1) People with deseases could tend to be sounder/steadier than healthy people.

2) It could be colder in March than (in February).

With 3), however, people (or rather women, in this case) like different types
of men in the first place. If the speaker says she prefers gentle men to
strong men, who could say that is unusual and/or it is contrary to his
expectation? It is only a statement of the speaker's preference.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-04-12T02:44:57.747
57878
2018-04-12T03:01:48.480
2018-04-12T03:01:48.480
9831
57852
answer