adverbial N2 common casualpolitewritten
かえって — on the contrary / rather / instead
かえって
Meaning
- on the contrary / rather / instead — the result turns out the opposite of what was intended or expected, typically not in one's favour
Key sentence
手伝ったのに、かえって邪魔になってしまった。
I tried to help, but on the contrary I just got in the way.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| adverb; placed before the unexpected, contrary result | (…)、かえって [contrary-to-intention result] | 謝ったらかえって怒られた |
Examples
近道をしたら、かえって遅くなった。
I took a shortcut, but it only made me later.
薬を飲みすぎると、かえって体に悪い。
Taking too much medicine is, on the contrary, bad for your body.
When you can't use it
- かえって implies an action was taken expecting one effect and the reverse (usually undesirable) effect resulted; it doesn't fit a simple neutral contrast of two facts.
Easily confused with
See かえって in real sentences
Jengo shows かえって the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Advanced Japanese Grammar, A Dictionary of Intermediate Japanese Grammar.