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How can I parse this sentence:

> 外観よりも実際にためになることのほうがいい。

So that it means:

> In comparison to appearance, reality is better

Edit: The complete paragraph is:

> 「花より団子」 お花見に行って、桜の花を見るより、そこで食べるおいしいだんごのほうがいい、外観よりも実際にためになることのほうがいい。

Where「花より団子」is a proverb being defined
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2017-01-14T21:09:43.907
42534
2017-01-15T08:54:07.797
2017-01-14T23:12:29.403
17515
17515
question
meaning parsing
How to parse にためになる
> 外観よりも(実際に)ためになることのほうがいい

This is how I would parse it:

> 外観よりも in comparison to appearance  
>  実際に in reality/for practical purposes  
>  ためになることのほうが act of being useful side  
>  いい is good

Or in other words:

> In reality, being useful is better than apperance.  
>  In practice, It's better to be useful than to look good.

Which is not quite the same as your TL.
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2017-01-14T22:48:57.347
42536
2017-01-15T08:54:07.797
2017-01-15T08:54:07.797
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42534
answer
> 「外観{がいかん}よりも実際{じっさい}にためになることのほうがいい。」

From your question title "How to parse にためになる", it is clear that you are
already parsing the middle part of the phrase incorrectly.

It is 「実際に + ためになる」. ⇒ ("beneficial in a practical sense")

It is not 「実際 + にためになる」. ⇒ Makes little sense.

The phrase in question is making a comparison between two things:

1) 「外観」⇒ "the appearnace" ⇒ **_flower viewing_**

2) 「実際にためになること」⇒ "the beneficial thing in a practical sense" ⇒ **_eating
dango_**

and **it is saying that 2) is better than 1)**.

Thus, this sums up the meaning of the well-known saying 「花{はな}より団子{だんご}」.

「ためになる」 should be remembered as it is used **_very_** often. It basically
means "good-fo-ya".
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2017-01-15T00:18:22.160
42537
2017-01-15T00:23:37.350
2017-01-15T00:23:37.350
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answer