We Took the Shortcut, So Why Did It Take Longer? 逆に・それなのに・それにしても

You take the shortcut expecting to arrive early, then roadworks make the trip longer. それなのに flags the mismatch; 逆に turns the direction around, while それにしても adds your reaction.

These connectors relate a new statement to what came before. 逆に means “conversely” or “on the contrary,” and can also describe an unexpected reversal. それなのに says “despite that,” emphasizing that the result conflicts with the prior fact. に反して marks a result contrary to an expectation or rule. 却って means “instead / on the contrary,” often describing an unexpected reversal. むしろ means “rather,” correcting which of two descriptions is more accurate. ものの, 反面, つつも, and にもかかわらず all concede one fact before giving a contrast; にもかかわらず is the most formal and emphatic. なお can mean “still / even so,” maintaining a point despite a prior statement. それにしても expresses the speaker’s reaction (“even so,” “that said”), often with surprise at the degree of something.

それなのに points out a result that goes against the expectation created by the previous sentence. It often carries disappointment or frustration.

逆に marks an opposite direction or an outcome that is contrary to what one might expect. It can also correct a prior perspective: 逆に考える, “think about it the other way around.”

それにしても often introduces the speaker’s reaction after acknowledging context. Unlike それなのに, it does not necessarily describe a contradiction; it can simply signal that something is notable despite what came before.

ことは～が acknowledges one fact before setting up a contrasting limitation: 便利なことは便利だが、値段が高い, “it is convenient, but it is expensive.” This gives a balanced concession without the strong surprise of それなのに.

Vocabulary