Meaning & Usage
✨ Basic Meaning
‘Considering…’, ‘For…’, or ‘Despite…’
🎯 Primary Function
To express that a situation or result is different from what one would normally expect based on a specific standard or fact.
📋 Grammar Structure
Verb (Plain form) + 割に / Noun + の + 割に
i-Adjective (Plain form) + 割に
na-Adjective + な + 割に
Verb (Nai form) + 割に / Adj-nai + 割に
🎭 Usage Contexts
Formal Situations
Used in business reports to compare results against expectations (e.g., investment vs. profit).
Informal Situations
Very common when gossiping or talking about products, restaurants, or people’s traits.
Written Language
Used in reviews, essays, and descriptive articles.
Spoken Language
Used frequently to express surprise or mild criticism.
💡 Common Applications
Price vs. Quality
Commonly used to compare the cost of an item with its actual performance or taste.
Example: 安いの割に質がいい (Good quality for being cheap).
Age vs. Appearance/Ability
Used when someone’s appearance or skill level does not match what is expected of their age.
Example: 年の割に若く見える (Looks young for their age).
Effort vs. Result
Expressing a gap between the amount of effort put in and the final outcome.
Example: 勉強した割に点数が悪い (Bad grades despite having studied).
Frequency
High (Common in daily conversation and advertisements)
Difficulty
JLPT N3
Tag:
Example Sentences
Example #1
彼は年の割に若く見える。
Furigana: かれ は とし の わりに わか く み える。
Romaji: Kare wa toshi no wari ni wakaku mieru.
English: He looks young for his age.
Example #2
このレストランは値段の割においしい。
Furigana: この レストラン は ねだん の わりに おいしい。
Romaji: Kono resutoran wa nedan no wari ni oishii.
English: This restaurant is delicious considering the cheap prices.
Example #3
初心者の割にテニスが上手だ。
Furigana: しょしんしゃ の わりに テニス が じょうず だ。
Romaji: Shoshinsha no wari ni tenisu ga jouzu da.
English: Despite being a beginner, he is very skilled at tennis.
Example #4
あまり勉強しなかった割に、テストの点数がよかった。
Furigana: あまり べんきょう しなかった わりに、テスト の てんすう が よかった。
Romaji: Amari benkyou shinakatta wari ni, tesuto no tensuu ga yokatta.
English: The test scores were good considering I didn’t study much.
Example #5
この部屋は狭い割に家賃が高い。
Furigana: この へや は せまい わりに やちん が たかい。
Romaji: Kono heya wa semai wari ni yachin ga takai.
English: This room is expensive considering how small it is.
Example #6
忙しい割に、よく旅行に行っている。
Furigana: いそがしい わりに、よく りょこう に いっている。
Romaji: Isogashii wari ni, yoku ryokou ni itte iru.
English: For a busy person, he seems to go on many trips.
Example #7
子供の割に言葉遣いが丁寧だ。
Furigana: こども の わりに ことばづかい が ていねい だ。
Romaji: Kodomo no wari ni kotobazukai ga teinei da.
English: Despite being a child, his way of speaking is very polite.
Example #8
彼女はたくさん食べる割に、太らない。
Furigana: かのじょ は たくさん たべる わりに、ふと らない。
Romaji: Kanojo wa takusan taberu wari ni, futoranai.
English: She eats a lot, but she doesn’t gain weight. (Unexpectedly)
Example #9
このパソコンは古い割に動きが速い。
Furigana: この パソコン は ふるい わりに うごき が はやい。
Romaji: Kono pasokon wa furui wari ni ugoki ga hayai.
English: This computer is quite fast for being old.
Example #10
初めての割に、うまくできた。
Furigana: はじめて の わりに、うまく できた。
Romaji: Hajimete no wari ni, umaku dekita.
English: Considering it was his first time, he did a great job.
Notes & Nuances
📌 Important Points
Wari ni vs. Kuse ni
‘Wari ni’ is more objective and less emotional than ‘kuse ni’, which is used for strong criticism or blame.
Example: 彼は若いくせに、すぐ疲れる。 (He is young, but gets tired easily – more critical).
Wari ni vs. Ni shite wa
‘Ni shite wa’ is often used for specific numbers or concrete people, while ‘wari ni’ focuses on the ratio or proportion.
Example: 100円にしては、いい商品だ。 (For 100 yen, this is a good product).
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❌ 子供割に (Kodomo wari ni)
✅ 子供の割に (Kodomo no wari ni)
Nouns must be followed by the particle ‘no’ before ‘wari ni’.
❌ 元気割に (Genki wari ni)
✅ 元気な割に (Genki na wari ni)
Na-adjectives must retain ‘na’ before ‘wari ni’.
🏛️ Cultural Context
Politeness Level: Neutral. It can be used in both polite and casual speech.
Social Situations: Be careful when using it about people directly, as it implies they are an exception to a rule, which could be taken as slightly rude if the ‘standard’ is negative.
Regional Variations: Standard Japanese.
🔍 Subtle Differences
Wari ni vs. Ni shite wa
‘Wari ni’ emphasizes a relative proportion or degree, while ‘ni shite wa’ focuses more on the gap between a specific fact and the result.
When to use: Use ‘wari ni’ for general comparisons of value, age, or effort. Use ‘ni shite wa’ for specific, concrete expectations.
📝 Conjugation Notes
Always use the plain form for verbs and i-adjectives. For nouns, use ‘no’. For na-adjectives, use ‘na’.
🔊 Pronunciation Tips
The ‘ni’ is often dropped in very casual speech, leaving just ‘wari’.
🧠 Memory Tips
Think of ‘wari’ (割) as ‘ratio’ or ‘percentage’. You are saying ‘Compared to the ratio/standard of X, the result is Y.’
Other Grammar
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