というより

JLPT Level: N3
Meanings

not so much A as B

more of A than B

rather than saying that …

it's more about X than Y

Usage

Noun + というより + …

い-adjective + というより + …

な-adjective (plain) + というより + …

Verb dictionary form + というより + …

Explanation
というより is used to correct or refine what someone just said by presenting a more accurate or stronger contrast. It signals that the following description is closer to the truth than the previous interpretation. It often translates to “more like … than …,” “not so much … as …,” or “rather than saying that ….” It’s commonly used in casual to semi-formal speech when you want to pivot from a likely assumption to a more precise characterization. Typical contexts include comparing two qualities, redefining a statement, or emphasizing a nuanced distinction between what something is and what it is not.
彼は友達というより兄弟みたいだ。
かれはともだちというよりきょうだいみたいだ。

He's more like a brother than a friend.

この店は味というより雰囲気を楽しむ場所だ。
このみせはあじというよりふんいきをたのしむばしょだ。

This place is more about the atmosphere than the taste.

この文は難しいというより厄介だ。
このぶんはむずかしいというよりやっかいだ。

This sentence is not so much difficult as troublesome.

彼女は市長というよりリーダー的な存在だ。
かのじょはしちょうというよりリーダーてきなそんざいだ。

She is more of a leader than a mayor.

安いというより高すぎる。
やすいというよりたかすぎる。

It's not cheap; it's more like very expensive.