Posted inN3 Grammar

Unexpected Comparisons: Mastering 「〜割に (わりに)」 (JLPT N3 Grammar)

Posted inN3 Grammar
Japanese Grammar Template
Meaning & Usage

✨ Basic Meaning

Expresses that something is different from what would be expected based on a given standard or condition.

🎯 Primary Function

To state a relatively unexpected result or observation when comparing something to a standard.

📋 Grammar Structure

Noun + の + わりに い-adjective + わりに な-adjective stem + な + わりに Verb (plain form) + わりに

🎭 Usage Contexts

🏢 Formal Situations

Can be used, but depends on the formality of the surrounding sentence and vocabulary. Not inherently formal or informal.

😊 Informal Situations

Very common in everyday conversation.

✍️ Written Language

Commonly appears in articles, blogs, and casual writing.

🗣️ Spoken Language

Frequently used in spoken Japanese.

💡 Common Applications

Comparing a person’s appearance or ability to their age.
Used to say someone looks or acts younger/older/more/less skilled than their age suggests.
Example: 彼は年のわりに若く見える。 (He looks young for his age.)
Evaluating quality or performance relative to price.
Used to describe something as better or worse than expected based on its cost.
Example: このレストランは値段のわりに美味しい。(This restaurant is delicious for the price.)
Commenting on results or conditions based on effort or circumstance.
Used to express surprise about an outcome given the preceding condition or action.
Example: たくさん勉強したわりに、テストの点が悪かった。(Considering how much I studied, my test score was bad.)
📊
Frequency
Moderately frequent in daily communication.
🎚️
Difficulty
N3
Example Sentences
彼女は若いわりにしっかりしている。
She is mature for her age.
このパソコンは古いわりに、まだ速く動く。
This computer still runs fast, considering how old it is.
忙しいわりに、彼はいつも元気だ。
He is always energetic, considering how busy he is.
Notes & Nuances

📌 Important Points

Focus on the unexpected aspect.
The main point is that the result or observation is contrary to what is normally expected based on the initial state or condition.
Example: 狭い部屋のわりに、収納が多い。(There is a lot of storage, considering it’s a small room. – Implies small rooms usually have little storage.)
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⚠️ Common Mistakes

❌ Incorrect connection with な-adjectives.
✅ Use な before わりに.
な-adjectives require な when connecting to わりに (e.g., 綺麗なわりに -> きれいなわりに).
❌ Confusing it with similar patterns like 〜にしては.
✅ Understand the subtle difference in nuance.
While similar, 〜にしては often implies a *stronger* sense of unexpectedness or a more surprising deviation from the norm compared to 〜わりに, which can be a more neutral statement of relative comparison.

🏛️ Cultural Context

Politeness Level: Neutral. Politeness depends on the surrounding sentence structure and vocabulary.
Social Situations: Used in various social situations, from casual chats to more structured discussions.
Regional Variations: No significant regional variations in the usage of わりに.

🔍 Subtle Differences

〜割に (わりに) vs. 〜にしては (~nishite wa)
〜割に: States a relative comparison, noting an unexpected aspect. Can be a more neutral observation. 〜にしては: Often highlights a more significant or surprising deviation from the standard. Can sometimes carry a slightly evaluative tone.
When to use: Use 〜割に for a general statement of something being different than expected based on a standard. Use 〜にしては when you want to emphasize the *degree* of unexpectedness or express a stronger sense of surprise/evaluation.
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📝 Conjugation Notes

The connection rules are straightforward; no complex conjugations involved with わりに itself.

🔊 Pronunciation Tips

わりに is pronounced WAH-ri-ni. The り (ri) is usually pronounced clearly.

🧠 Memory Tips

Think of 割る (waru), meaning “to divide” or “to split”. わりに implies splitting the expectation from the reality – the result is divided from what you’d typically expect.

Practice Exercises
この車は小さい＿＿、よく走る。
のわりに
にしては
だけあって
のくせに
彼女は経験がない＿＿、仕事が速い。
なわりに
いわりに
するわりに
のに
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