At a glance
[Noun A] にひきかえ [Noun B] は means "in contrast to A, B is..." or "unlike A, B...". It sets two things against each other and adds the speaker's own evaluation, often praise for one and criticism for the other.
[Noun A] にひきかえ、[Noun B] は ～
[Plain form] の にひきかえ、[Noun B] は ～
真面目な兄にひきかえ、弟は全然勉強しない。 Unlike his serious older brother, the younger brother doesn't study at all.
How to form it
にひきかえ attaches directly to a noun. A clause first needs の.
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | Noun + にひきかえ | 姉にひきかえ |
| Verb | Plain form + のにひきかえ | 妻がよく働くのにひきかえ |
| い-adjective | Plain form + のにひきかえ | 兄が優しいのにひきかえ |
| な-adjective | Stem + な + のにひきかえ | 兄が真面目なのにひきかえ |
| Noun as predicate | Noun + な + のにひきかえ | 兄が医者なのにひきかえ |
Register: somewhat formal. It is common in writing, and in speech it often appears as それにひきかえ at the start of a sentence.