Grammar Info
N1 Lesson 10: 5/22

に引(ひ)き換(か)え
In stark contrast, In comparison, On the other hand, While, In sharp contrast

Structure
Noun+にひきかえ
[な]Adjective+な・であるにひきかえ
[い]Adjective+にひきかえ
Verb+にひきかえ
Phrase (A)。それにひきかえ、Noun は+Phrase (B)
Details
Register Standard
使用域 一般
Information
  • (A) にひきかえ (B) is used to contrast two things/people/animals and so on subjectively. The speaker considers (A) and (B) to be complete opposites and evaluates one of them positively (usually A) and the other negatively (usually B).
  • The それにひきかえ pattern is the most common.
  • にひきかえ is used with factual clauses, so it is generally not used with expressions of conjecture like かもしれない and the like.
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母親(ははおや)の友達(ともだち)の息子(むすこ)さんは、弁護士(べんごし)として立派(りっぱ)に働(はたら)いているにひきかえ僕(ぼく)は・・・(まだフリーターだ)。
In stark contrast to my mother's friend's son, who is working prominently as a lawyer, I am… (still a permanent part-timer.)
Notice that since one side of the comparison is evaluated positively, and the other negatively, the comment/description can be omitted and the reader/interlocutor will get the intended meaning from the context
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姉(あね)は積極的(せっきょくてき)で活発(かっぱつ)な性格(せいかく)にひきかえ弟(おとうと)の健太郎(けんたろう)はとても無気力(むきりょく)だ。
In stark contrast to the elder sister's lively personality, the younger brother, Kentaro, is very apathetic.
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兄(あに)は優秀(ゆうしゅう)な成績(せいせき)をおさめている。それにひきかえ妹(いもうと)の方(ほう)は遊(あそ)んでばかりだ。
The elder brother has excellent grades. In stark contrast to that, the younger sister is just mucking around.
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Books
Try N1
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Shin Kanzen Master N1 Bunpou
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Sou Matome Bunpou N1
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A Dictionary of Advanced Japanese Grammar
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