adverbial N2 common casualpolitewritten

どちらかと言えば — if anything / if I had to choose / relatively speaking

どちらかと言えば・どちらかといえば

Builds on ば形

Meaning

if anything / if I had to choose / relatively speaking — leans toward one side without committing strongly

どちらかと言いえば、私わたしは犬いぬより猫ねこの方ほうが好すきだ。

If anything, I prefer cats to dogs.

Attaches to	Form	Example
Fixed adverbial phrase, before the leaning statement	どちらかと言えば、[statement]	どちらかと言えば、…だ。

どちらかと言うと — Interchangeable と-base variant — same meaning.

味あじはどちらかと言いえば薄うすい方ほうだと思おもう。

If anything, I'd say the flavor is on the bland side.

賛成さんせいか反対はんたいかと聞きかれれば、どちらかと言いえば反対はんたいだ。

If asked whether I'm for or against, if anything I'm against.

A softening hedge — useful for stating an opinion politely without sounding assertive.

Jengo shows どちらかと言えば the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.

Sources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Advanced Japanese Grammar.