に反して

Contrary to

Level 3Sounds Like nihanshite

に反（はん）して is a formal expression meaning 'contrary to' or 'against.' It is used when an outcome differs from what was expected, desired, or required by a rule.

How It Works

に反（はん）して is primarily a formal and written expression. It highlights a contradiction between a 'standard' and the 'actual result.'

1. Grammatical Structure:

  • [Noun] + に反（はん）して: Used as an adverbial phrase to link to the rest of the sentence.
  • [Noun] + に反（はん）し: A more formal variant often used in newspapers or academic writing where the て is dropped.
  • [Noun] + に反（はん）する + [Noun]: The attributive form used to modify a following noun (e.g., 'a result contrary to...').

2. Nuance:
This expression has two core functions of equal importance:

  • Violation of Rules: It is used to describe actions that go against laws, regulations, or principles (e.g., 'contrary to the law'). For specific legal violations, the more specialized term 違反（いはん）して is also used.
  • Failed Predictions: It implies a sense of surprise when reality differs from expectations, predictions, or hopes (e.g., 'Contrary to the weather forecast...').

3. Formal Register:
In casual conversation, speakers usually prefer のに or けど. You will see に反（はん）して in news reports, legal documents, academic papers, and business contexts.

Examples (4)

  1. 予想に反して、試験はとても簡単だった。

    Contrary to expectations, the exam was very easy.

    Word by Word: Expectation to contrary, exam (topic) very easy was.

    Here, the actual difficulty of the exam contradicted the speaker's prior expectation.

  2. 周囲の期待に反して、彼は大学を辞めてしまった。

    Contrary to the expectations of those around him, he quit university.

    Word by Word: Surroundings' expectations to contrary, he (topic) university (object) quit (completely).

    This shows a result that goes against the hopes or 'expectations' (期待) of other people.

  3. 自分の意に反して、リーダーに選ばれた。

    I was chosen as the leader against my own will.

    Word by Word: Self's will to contrary, leader to was chosen.

    意（い） refers to one's will or intention. This is a common formal set phrase.

  4. 規則に反する行為は許されない。

    Actions that go against the rules are not permitted.

    Word by Word: Rules to go-against action (topic) permitted-is-not.

    This uses the attributive form (に反する) to modify the noun 行為（こうい - action/act）.

Common Mistakes

  • Attaching に反（はん）して directly to a verb.

    食べるに反して、太らなかった。
    予想に反して、たくさん食べたのに太らなかった。

    に反（はん）して must follow a noun. If you want to describe an action, you must use a noun like 予想（よそう） or nominalize the clause, though using a specific noun is much more natural.

  • Confusing に反（はん）して with に対して.

    兄に反して、弟は背が低い。
    兄に<grammar expression="に対して">対して</grammar>、弟は背が低い。

    に対して is used for simple contrast between two people or things. に反（はん）して is only for when something contradicts a rule, expectation, or intention.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

に反してLevel 3Contrary to

Learn This First

To understand 'に反して' (contrary to), you need to be comfortable with the particle 'に' marking a target and the 'te-form' used for connecting ideas. It is also helpful to understand basic noun modification, as this pattern attaches directly to nouns like 'expectation' or 'prediction' to show a contrasting result.

Words in This Pattern

に反して反する