〜わりには

JLPT N2approx.Neutral
Meaning

Expresses that a result differs from what you would normally expect given the degree or nature of something: 'considering ~', 'for ~'. The outcome can be better or worse than expected.

Formation
Verb (plain form)+わりには
i-adj. (plain form)+わりには
na-adj. stem+な+わりには
Noun+の+わりにはe.g. 地味なわりには, 初心者のわりには
Variantわりにwithout は, same meaning
Examples
This dish is very tasty, considering how plain it looks.
彼かれは初心者しょしんしゃのわりには、よくできている。
He's doing very well for a beginner.
Usage

Common in both conversation and writing when evaluating something against an implied standard, such as age, price, experience or appearance. Unlike だけあって or だけに, which describe results that match expectations, わりには marks a mismatch. It is more neutral than くせに, which carries criticism.

Watch out

Do not drop の after nouns or な after な-adjectives: say 初心者のわりには and 地味なわりには.

Learners sometimes use わりには when the result matches expectations; use だけあって or だけに for that instead.

Note that わりには is based on a degree or standard implied by X, not simply on a contrasting fact.

Easily confused with
  • わりにN3「わりに」 is simply the form without 「は」: used mid-sentence to mean that something is out of proportion with expectations, it has the same meaning and connection rules and is interchangeable, with a plainer tone. It also works as an adverb meaning 'comparatively' or 'surprisingly,' and in that use it cannot be replaced by 「わりには」.
  • にしてはN3「にしては」 also marks a mismatch with expectations, positive or negative, and is often interchangeable, but it measures against a status, identity, or concrete fact, while 「わりには」 focuses on the degree of the preceding element. Nouns and な-adjective stems attach directly to 「にしては」, with no 「の」 or 「な」.
  • だけあってN2「だけあって」 means the result matches the expectation set up by the preceding element (as one would expect), the opposite of 「わりには」, which signals a mismatch, so the two are not interchangeable. 「だけあって」 attaches directly to nouns, while 「わりには」 needs 「の」.
  • だけにN2「だけに」 means 'precisely because of X, all the more Y': the preceding element intensifies the result, which may meet expectations or fall short of them, as in 「有名な店だけに、期待外れで残念だ」, but it never expresses that reality is out of proportion with the premise. Its logic is therefore the opposite of 「わりには」, so they are not interchangeable, and nouns attach to 「だけに」 without 「の」.
  • くせにN3「くせに」 carries strong reproach, contempt, or dissatisfaction, is highly colloquial, requires the same subject in both clauses, and can even end a sentence as a complaint. 「わりには」 is neutral and the outcome can be good or bad, so for a neutral evaluation with no blame intended, it cannot be replaced by 「くせに」.
  • にもかかわらずN2「にもかかわらず」 is a more formal, purely concessive connector (despite this fact, still…) that need not involve any contrast of degree. It attaches directly to nouns and allows a request or intention in the second clause, whereas 「わりには」 centers on a mismatch with degree and is mostly used in everyday evaluations.

わりに is the same pattern without the emphatic は, and にしては also means 'for ~' but typically follows nouns or verbs expressing a premise, not adjectives. だけあって and だけに express results that match expectations, くせに adds reproach toward someone, and にもかかわらず is a more formal 'despite' based on a fact rather than an expected degree.

Grammar · JLPT grammar levels are community estimates, not official (no official lists have been published since the 2010 revision).

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