rather

むしろ、できれば

wouldとともに使い、他の選択肢より望むものを表す。

やさしい英語で： Used with would to say what you want more than another choice.

• I would rather walk.
• Would you rather have tea or coffee?
• He would rather not discuss it today.

使い方： would rather + base verb (I would rather walk home.); would rather do A than do B (She would rather cook than order food.); would rather someone + past tense (I would rather you stayed here.)

類義語： preferably

よく使う表現： would rather go, would rather not, rather than walk, would rather stay

かなり、やや

程度が比較的大きく、しばしば予想よりも大きいことを表す。

やさしい英語で： To a fairly large degree, often more than expected.

• It is rather cold.
• She looked rather tired after work.
• That turned out to be rather an expensive meal.

使い方： rather + adjective/adverb (The train arrived rather late.); rather a/an + adjective + noun (It was rather a strange evening.)

類義語： quite, fairly, somewhat

よく使う表現： rather cold, rather difficult, rather a lot, rather expensive

むしろ、代わりに

「than」と共に、別のことの代わりに行う、または選ぶことを表す。

やさしい英語で： Used with than to show that one thing happens or is chosen instead of another.

• Use oil rather than butter.
• She called rather than sending a message.
• Rather than wait, we went home.

使い方： rather than + noun/-ing/base verb (We walked rather than taking a taxi.)

類義語： instead

よく使う表現： rather than something, rather than wait, rather than driving

正確には、というより

「or」の後で、直前の発言を訂正したり、より正確に言い直したりする。

やさしい英語で： Used after or to correct what you just said or make it more exact.

• It was red, or rather dark pink.
• We arrived yesterday, or rather early this morning.
• She smiled, or rather tried to smile.

使い方： or rather + correction (He is my uncle, or rather my great-uncle.)

類義語： more precisely, more accurately

よく使う表現： or rather, or rather something

むしろ、それどころか

前の発言に代わる、または反対する内容を述べるときに使う。

やさしい英語で： Used to introduce a statement that replaces or goes against a previous statement.

• He was not angry; rather, he was confused.
• The plan did not reduce costs; rather, it increased them.
• She did not ignore the problem; rather, she addressed it directly.

類義語： instead, on the contrary

よく使う表現： rather it is, rather we should

もちろん、大いに

強く賛成したり、とても喜んで受け入れたりする気持ちを表す。

やさしい英語で： Used to show that you strongly agree or feel very positive about something.

• “Did you enjoy dinner?” “Rather!”
• “Would you like another game?” “Oh, rather!”
• “Was the concert good?” “Rather! I loved it.”

類義語： certainly, absolutely, definitely

反対語： no

よく使う表現： oh rather, rather indeed