Grammar › Comparison & Degree
〜わりに — “considering, relatively (more/less than expected)”
A gap between input and output: 値段のわりに美味しい — tasty, considering the price
Plain form/noun + わりに compares a result against what you'd normally expect given some factor, and finds a mismatch — “considering X, (surprisingly) Y.” It's the everyday, slightly casual cousin of 〜に しては.
How to form it
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| Plain form/noun + の + わりに | 値段のわりに — considering the price |
| Plain form + わりに | 勉強しなかったわりに — considering I didn't study |
Example sentences
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| このレストランは値段のわりに美味しい。 | このれすとらんはねだんのわりにおいしい。 konoresutoranhanedannowarinioishii。 | This restaurant is tasty, considering the price. |
| 彼は年齢のわりに若く見える。 | かれはねんれいのわりにわかくみえる。 karehanenreinowariniwakakumieru。 | He looks young for his age. |
| あまり勉強しなかったわりに、いい点が取れた。 | あまりべんきょうしなかったわりに、いいてんがとれた。 amaribenkyoushinakattawarini、iitengatoreta。 | Considering I didn't study much, I got a good grade. |
🔊 Tap any Japanese sentence to hear it; kanji link to their study pages.
Watch out
わりに always implies a gap between expectation and reality — using it when the result matches expectations exactly (“expensive, and tasty as you'd expect”) doesn't fit the pattern's built-in sense of mismatch.