N3 Contrast, Comparison, and Concession

~わりに(は): meaning, usage and examples

~わりに(は) means: considering how (much)... / for (a price, age, amount).

Updated 9 November 2026 · By the My Senpai team · Spotted a mistake? Tell us

Examples

1. このステーキは、高たかいわりにまずい。

   This steak tastes bad for the price.

2. 彼かれは、年としのわりには若わかく見みえる。

   He looks young for his age.

3. この店みせは駅えきから遠とおいわりに、お客きゃくさんが多おおいです。

   This shop has a lot of customers, considering how far it is from the station.

4. 田中たなかさんはよく食たべるわりにやせています。

   Mr. Tanaka is thin for someone who eats so much.

When to use it

Means 'considering' or 'for (how much)'. Use it when the result is out of balance with an amount or degree: 高たかいわりにまずい 'bad for the price', 年としのわりに若わかく見みえる 'looks young for his age'. The result can be better or worse than expected. Adding は makes the contrast a little stronger.

Nuance

Common and conversational, used in both casual and polite speech. It works best with words for amount or degree: price, age, size, effort, study time. Like にしては, it is about a gap between expectation and reality.

Compare

Compare にしては: にしては takes a fixed fact as the standard (初心者しょしんしゃにしては上手じょうず). わりに takes a degree or amount (勉強べんきょうしたわりに点てんが悪わるい). Words like 年とし, 値段ねだん, and 大おおきさ go with わりに; labels like プロ or 8月がつ go with にしては.

Tip: Ask "how much?" If X can be more or less (price, age, effort), わりに fits. If X is a yes/no fact, use にしては.