にひきかえ

In stark contrast, In comparison, On the other hand, While, In sharp contrast

親戚しんせきの全員ぜんいんが裕福ゆうふくなのに引ひき換かえ、なぜか私わたしの家族かぞくだけが貧乏びんぼう。

In stark contrast to all my relatives, who are wealthy, my family is poor for some reason.

Explanation

「Nにひきかえ」 means 'in sharp contrast to N'. It sets two opposite things side by side, with the speaker's clear preference, usually one very good and one very bad: 「優秀で礼儀正しい兄にひきかえ、弟は怠けて問題ばかり起こしている」 (In contrast to his brilliant, polite older brother, the younger one is lazy and keeps causing trouble). It carries admiration, self-mockery, dissatisfaction or regret, so it is not a flat comparison. Typical for siblings, past vs present, or good vs poor results.

Mixed up with

「〜にひきかえ」: the most subjective; one side great, the other poor, with a judgment or a sigh.

「〜に対して」: a neutral comparison of facts, e.g. big city population vs small rural one; no strong personal feeling.

「〜に反して」: the opposite of expectations, rules or wishes, e.g. 「予想に反して」 (contrary to expectations).

Examples

去年きょねんの夏なつに引ひき換かえ、今年ことしの夏なつはえげつなく暑あつい。
In stark contrast to summer last year, summer this year is extremely hot.
兄あには優秀ゆうしゅうな成績せいせきをおさめている。それにひきかえ妹いもうとの方ほうは遊あそんでばかりだ。
The elder brother has excellent grades. In stark contrast to that, the younger sister is just mucking around.
母親ははおやの友達ともだちの息子むすこさんは、弁護士べんごしとして立派りっぱに働はたらいているのにひきかえ、僕ぼくは・・・。
In stark contrast to my mother's friend's son, who is doing splendidly as a lawyer, I...
周まわりの人ひとたちはどんどん就職しゅうしょくしていっているのに引ひき換かえ、俺おれはまだ面接めんせつさえしていない。
In stark contrast to the people around me, who are getting jobs, I haven’t even gone to an interview.
うちの娘むすめは頭あたまがいいのに引ひき換かえ、うちの長男ちょうなんはゲームばかりして全然ぜんぜん勉強べんきょうをしようともしない。
In stark contrast to my daughter, who is smart, all my eldest son wants to do is play videogames and won’t even try to study.
周まわりの子こたちを見みてみなさいよ！みんな来年らいねんから大学だいがくよ！それに引ひき換かえ、あんたったら……。
Look at the kids around you! They are all starting college next year! And you, on the other hand...
積極的せっきょくてきで活発かっぱつな姉あねにひきかえ、弟おとうとの健太郎けんたろうはとても無気力むきりょくだ。
In stark contrast to his active, lively older sister, the younger brother Kentaro is very apathetic.
前回ぜんかいのテストにひきかえ今回こんかいのテストは難むずかしい。
In stark contrast to the previous test, this one is hard.
隣となりの家いえの猫ねこは痩やせていて頭あたまがいいのにひきかえうちの猫ねこはぐうたらしてばかりだなあ。
In stark contrast to the neighbor's cat, which is skinny and smart, our cat is just loafing around.
彼かれの服ふくはかっこいい。それにひきかえ私わたしの彼氏かれしの服ふくは、なんてダサいのだ。
His clothes are cool. In stark contrast to that, how uncool my boyfriend's clothes are.