逆に How to use “gyakuni” as slang

Oct 06, 2024

こんにちは! We recently realized that the word 逆に is often used by young people in casual conversations. In this article, we’re going to introduce how to use this slang in a natural way!

逆に(gyaku ni)

As the basic meaning, 逆に means "conversely" or "on the contrary” but it often implies the sense of surprise, emphasis, or unexpected perspective as the slang use.

Example Sentence

A: あのコメント見(み)た？プロジェクト炎上(えんじょう)してたよ
Did you see that comment? The project was blowing up.
B: 見(み)た見(み)た！やばすぎて逆(ぎゃく)に笑(わら)えるわ…
I did! It's so crazy that it's actually funny…

Example Sentence

A: 犬(いぬ)が毎朝(まいあさ)6時(じ)に起(お)こしてくるから、長(なが)く寝(ね)てられないんだよね。
My dog keeps waking me up at 6 a.m. every morning.

B: いやそれ、逆(ぎゃく)にめっちゃ良(よ)くない？
Actually, isn't that kind of a good thing?

むしろ

むしろ is similar to 逆に (gyaku ni), but with a subtle difference. While both can flip a situation on its head, むしろ is used more to highlight a preferred or better alternative, especially in unexpected situations. It’s about turning something seemingly negative into a positive, or emphasizing the opposite in a surprising way.

Example Sentence

A: 雨降(ふ)ってるし、今日は外(そと)に出(で)るのやめようか。
It’s raining, maybe we should skip going out today.
B:むしろ雨(あめ)だからこそ、人(ひと)が少(すく)なくていいかもよ！
Actually, since it's raining, there will be fewer people, which might be nice!