N3 Grammar ⑳　にしては / わりに

JLPT N3 Japanese self-study　·　~12 min　·　For / considering ~ — expressing a gap between expectation and reality

'For someone who's only been in Japan a year, his Japanese is great.' 'For the high price, the quality isn't very good.' Both patterns express a surprising mismatch.

What you'll learn

• にしては: 'for / considering ~' — the result is surprisingly better or worse than expected
• わりに: 'for the degree/level of' — emphasizes proportional comparison
• Opposite: だけあって = 'as expected from ~' (result MATCHES the expectation)
• にしては = binary (above/below); わりに = ratio-based contrast

How to study “N3 Grammar ⑳　にしては / わりに”

“N3 Grammar ⑳　にしては / わりに” (For / considering ~ — expressing a gap between expectation and reality) is a JLPT N3 chapter of our free Japanese self-study course, about 12 min. You learn by doing — flashcard drills and fill-in-the-blank quizzes graded on the spot — completely free, with no sign-up and no ad wall. Once it clicks, read the matching in-depth explainer over in Grammar.