JLPT N3 grammar
〜わりに(は) — Meaning & Examples
Considering X, Y is surprisingly different from expected. 安いわりにおいしい = cheap, but surprisingly delicious.
〜わりに(は) — Considering X, Surprisingly Y
〜わりに(は) = "considering / in proportion to X, Y is surprisingly different from expected." It sets up an expectation, then breaks it.
Formation: plain form / な-adjective + な / noun + の + わりに
このレストランは安いわりに、料理がおいしい。
= This restaurant is cheap, but the food is surprisingly delicious. (cheap → you'd expect mediocre food, but no)
彼は若いわりに、しっかりしている。
= He's young, but he's surprisingly mature for it.
練習した割には、うまくできなかった。
= Considering how much I practised, it didn't go as well as I'd hoped. (practice → you'd expect success)
The pattern always compares an EXPECTATION set by the first clause against an unexpected RESULT. The result can be better or worse than expected — わりに doesn't care which direction, only that it's a mismatch.
このカバンは高いわりに、あまり使いやすくない。
= For how expensive this bag is, it's not very easy to use. (expensive → you'd expect great quality)
Practice questions
Try these 3 questions on 〜わりに(は). Pick an answer in your head, then open “Show answer”.
1. 「このレストランは安いわりに、料理がおいしい」 means?
- It's cheap because the food is bad
- It's cheap, but surprisingly the food is delicious
- It's expensive and delicious
- It's cheap and the food matches expectations
Show answer
Answer: It's cheap, but surprisingly the food is delicious
〜わりに sets up an expectation (cheap → so-so food) and then breaks it (surprisingly good).
2. How does 〜にしては differ from 〜わりに in what it compares against?
- They are unrelated patterns
- わりに is only for people
- にしては is only for weather
- にしては compares against a category norm; わりに compares against an expectation set by the sentence itself
Show answer
Answer: にしては compares against a category norm; わりに compares against an expectation set by the sentence itself
12月にしては暖かい (compared to what December is normally like) vs 安いわりにおいしい (compared to what "cheap" implies).
3. 「練習した割には、うまくできなかった」 implies?
- I didn't practise at all
- I practised too little to expect anything
- The practice went perfectly as expected
- Given how much I practised, the result was surprisingly disappointing
Show answer
Answer: Given how much I practised, the result was surprisingly disappointing
わりに doesn't care which direction the mismatch goes — here, more practice than the (bad) result would suggest.
Practise 〜わりに(は) in the free app
This point is part of the “📐 Tendency and Proportion — がち・気味・わりに・にしては” lesson in A Star Japanese. Study it with examples, a quiz, flashcards and timed JLPT N3 mock exams. Free on iPhone and Android.
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Related N3 grammar points
From the same lesson: 📐 Tendency and Proportion — がち・気味・わりに・にしては
Frequently asked questions
What does 〜わりに(は) mean?
Considering X, Y is surprisingly different from expected. 安いわりにおいしい = cheap, but surprisingly delicious.
Is 〜わりに(は) on the JLPT N3 test?
〜わりに(は) is taught in the JLPT N3 grammar course in A Star Japanese (lesson “📐 Tendency and Proportion — がち・気味・わりに・にしては”), so it is a pattern learners at this level are expected to recognise. The JLPT does not publish an official grammar list, so treat this as a study guide rather than an official requirement.
How can I practise 〜わりに(は)?
Open the “📐 Tendency and Proportion — がち・気味・わりに・にしては” lesson in the free A Star Japanese app for iPhone and Android. It has examples, a quiz after every lesson, flashcards with spaced repetition and timed JLPT N3 mock exams, with no ads.