質問: I know 方 can be used for constructions with verbs' ta forms, but can it also be use with things like nouns, adjectives, etc.? My understanding previously was that it was all the same word, but should you write "hou" differently, depending on whether you're using it for a verb or for something else? > > そのほうがいい > > > その方がいい > > > 行かない方がいい > > >
回答: Again, looking at the results from BCCWJ ``` 5576 ほうがいい 747 ほうが良い 1733 方がいい 4839 方が良い ``` 方がいい is "correct", at least descriptively speaking, although the results also suggest that if you're going to write 方 in 漢字, you might as well write 良い with 漢字 as well. As for the difference between 漢字 with the use of nouns and verbs, we can check for nouns ``` 523 のほうがいい 73 のほうが良い 551 の方がいい 203 の方が良い ``` for verbs ``` 3754 たほうがいい 502 たほうが良い 1181 た方がいい 3121 た方が良い ``` and for negated verbs (and negated i-adjectives) ``` 722 ないほうがいい 86 ないほうが良い 607 ない方がいい 188 ない方が良い ``` This looks like 方 is slightly more often written in 漢字 when accompanying a noun (この方 and その方 account for 51 results), and sightly more often written in かな, when accompanying a verb. (And lastly, そのほう has 53, その方 45 results.)