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かえって (kaette) Japanese meaning: on the contrary | Kotomora
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薬くすり を 飲の ん だら 、 かえって 気き 分ぶん が 悪わる く なっ た 。
After taking the medicine, I felt worse instead.
By hurrying, I ended up being later.
After failing, he seems to have become more motivated, rather than discouraged.
Usage patterns かえって 〈 事こと 〉 が 悪あっ 化か する to actually make a situation worse (despite good intentions)
Taking too much medicine actually made my condition worse.
かえって 〈 人ひと 〉 に 迷めい 惑わく をかける to end up causing someone trouble contrary to one's intention
I tried to help, but I ended up causing him trouble instead.
かえって 〈 形けい 容よう 詞し 〉 になる to end up becoming more/less (adjective) than intended
I bought the cheap product, but it ended up costing more in the end.
〈 事こと 〉 でかえってよかった to turn out to be a good thing after all, despite seeming bad
Failing the exam might have actually turned out for the best.
Kanji 却 instead, on the contrary, rather Related words むしろ expresses a preference or a more fitting description ('rather this than that'), while 却って highlights that a result unexpectedly turned out the opposite of what was intended.
逆に is a general way to say 'conversely' for any logical reversal, whereas 却って specifically implies the outcome was unexpectedly contrary to what was intended or hoped for.
かえって points out a result contrary to what was expected from a single action, while それどころか negates an entire preceding statement and escalates to a stronger claim.
かえって means 'on the contrary, unexpectedly,' while いっそ adds the feeling that the extreme result is oddly preferable.
Written forms かえって Usage 91%
Usually written in kana; the kanji forms 却って and 反って are rare and may be confusing.
却かえ って Usage 9%
Rare kanji spelling; 却 is not a jōyō kanji reading for this word.
反かえ って
Rare kanji spelling; easily confused with 反って (そって).
Etymology Derived from the verb 返る (かえる, 'to return, to turn back'), with the て-form adverbialized. The sense of 'contrary to expectation' developed from the idea of something turning back or reversing.
