Lesson 121: なんか・くせに・にしては・わりに

N3 · Lesson 121 · 18 min — Humble, snarky, surprising: four ways to give an opinion

Last lesson you learned こそ・さえ・はもちろん. Now Rin's mailbox holds a letter from Kyoto with just one line: 「春はるに なったら、また ここで。」 This lesson teaches four ways to give an opinion: なんか (humble or dismissive), くせに (even though ~), and にしては・わりに (not what you'd expect). Start with the comic!

After this lesson, you can:

• Use なんか／なんて to be humble about yourself, to look down on something, or to say "I can't believe ~"
• Use くせに to snipe at someone: "even though they ~, they ~"
• Use にしては to say "for a ~, the result is a surprise"
• Use わりに to say "it doesn't match the level of ~", and tell it apart from にしては

The Rookie's Plan

After the tour idea was approved, Rin wrote the official proposal in just one weekend. Neko-sensei also came by the travel agency to check the Japanese. (新人しんじん＝newcomer, 企画書きかくしょ＝proposal, やせる＝to lose weight)

なんか＝humble or dismissive, くせに＝even though ~, にしては・わりに＝not what you'd expect. Next lesson: the first Yanaka tour trial!

Words for this lesson: opinions and snark

• 〜なんか／〜なんて (nanka / nante): things like ~, someone like ~; "I can't believe ~"
• 〜くせに (kuse ni): even though ~, (yet) ~ (with blame)
• 〜に しては (ni shite wa): for a ~ (but surprising)
• 〜わりに（は） (wari ni (wa)): considering the level of ~, yet ~
• 新人しんじん (shinjin): newcomer, rookie
• 企画書きかくしょ (kikakusho): proposal, project plan
• まだまだ (madamada): not there yet; still a long way to go
• やせる (yaseru): to lose weight, get thin
• 遅おくれる (okureru): to be late
• 一人ひとりで (hitori de): alone, by oneself
• お弁当べんとう (obentō): bento, boxed lunch
• ピーマン (pīman): green pepper
• めずらしい (mezurashii): rare, unusual
• カラオケ (karaoke): karaoke
• 自分じぶん (jibun): oneself, myself
• 文句もんくを 言いう (monku o iu): complaint, grumbling
• 値段ねだん (nedan): price
• 量りょう (ryō): amount, portion size
• 年とし (toshi): age, years
• 若わかい (wakai): young
• 点てん (ten): score, points
• 言葉ことば (kotoba): word, language
• 便利べんり (benri): convenient

Grammar 1 / 4: なんか・なんて

Noun + なんか = "someone/something like ~". About yourself, it is humble. About other people or things plus a negative remark, it sounds dismissive. With a neutral remark, it is just a light example. Plain form + なんて = "I can't believe ~" (surprise).

• N + なんか = something like ~ (casual): なんか is the casual version of など. With a neutral remark, it is just a light example: お茶ちゃなんか どうですか＝How about some tea or something?
• About yourself = humble; with a negative remark = dismissive: わたしなんか、まだまだです＝I'm not there yet (humble). After other people or things, it often sounds scornful: ピーマンなんか 好すきじゃない＝I don't like green peppers or anything like that. So using なんか about a senior or your boss is very rude.
• Plain form + なんて = I can't believe ~: なんて can follow a whole sentence (plain form): 一人ひとりで 行いくなんて＝I can't believe you went alone! It can be admiring or disapproving.
• なんか and なんて: After a noun, for a dismissive tone, both work (なんて is stronger). For a suggestion like "~ or something", use only なんか. After a full sentence, for surprise, use なんて. Both are casual. In formal writing, use など.

• わたしなんか、まだまだです。 — I'm not there yet.
• ピーマンなんか 好すきじゃない。 — I don't like green peppers or anything like that.
• お茶ちゃなんか どうですか。 — How about some tea or something?
• 一人ひとりで 京都きょうとへ 行いくなんて、すごいね。 — Going to Kyoto alone? Wow, that's amazing!
• くまたが 遅おくれるなんて、めずらしい。 — Kumata, late? How rare!

Grammar 2 / 4: くせに

A くせに B = even though A, B. The speaker thinks "that shouldn't be", with blame or annoyance. Friends also use it to tease each other jokingly.

• A くせに B = even though A, B: 知しって いる くせに、教おしえて くれない＝You know, yet you won't tell me. B is usually something the speaker dislikes. Even when B is good, くせに adds a feeling of "that doesn't suit you", envy, or disbelief (the manager is half-joking with Rin).
• Forms: plain form／Nの／なAな + くせに: 知しって いる くせに・新人しんじんの くせに・歌うたが 下手へたな くせに・若わかい くせに.
• Same person in A and B, and never yourself: "Even though A" and "yet B" are about the same person. くせに comments on someone else, so don't use it about yourself: ✗ わたしは～くせに.
• くせに and のに: のに only expresses surprise or regret ("even though ~, ..."), and you can use it about yourself: 雨あめなのに、出でかけた. くせに adds blame, so do not use it with a boss or a customer. When Manager Tanuki says it to a newcomer, it is half a joke.

• 知しって いる くせに、教おしえて くれない。 — You know, yet you won't tell me.
• 新人しんじんの くせに、もう 企画書きかくしょを 書かいたんですか。 — Even though you're new, the proposal is already done?
• 歌うたが 下手へたな くせに、カラオケが 大好だいすきだ。 — He's terrible at singing, yet he loves karaoke.
• 自分じぶんは 何なにも しない くせに、文句もんくばかり 言いう。 — You do nothing yourself, yet you're always complaining.
• 子こどもの くせに、難むずかしい 言葉ことばを 知しって いるね。 — You're just a kid, yet you know such a hard word. Little smarty!

Grammar 3 / 4: にしては

A に しては B = for A (a status, time, or condition), B is surprising. The result can be better or worse than a typical A.

• A に しては B = for A, B is a surprise: 十月じゅうがつに しては 暑あつい＝For October, it's really hot. Good surprises and bad surprises both work.
• Forms: noun／verb plain form + にしては: A noun attaches directly, no の: 新人しんじんに しては. A verb uses the plain form: 初はじめて 作つくったに しては. With i-adjectives (安やすい), people usually use わりに (Grammar 4). 安やすいに しては is said by some, but it is rare and not very natural.
• A is one specific condition: A is usually a single-point fact such as a status, a time, or a count (newcomer, October, first time). It also works with a person: リンに しては 早はやいね＝For Rin (who is usually late), you're early today.
• An opinion follows, not a request or a plan: B is the speaker's impression (暑あつい, いい, 上手じょうずだ). Do not follow it with 「～て ください」 or 「～ましょう」. If the result is just what you expected, don't use にしては.

• 新人しんじんに しては、よく できて いる。 — For a newcomer, you did very well.
• 十月じゅうがつに しては 暑あついですね。 — For October, it's so hot.
• 初はじめて 作つくったに しては、おいしい。 — For a first try, it's delicious.
• リンに しては、早はやく 起おきたね。 — For Rin, you got up so early today.
• 一年いちねんしか 勉強べんきょうして いないに しては、日本語にほんごが 上手じょうずだ。 — For someone who studied only one year, your Japanese is good.

Grammar 4 / 4: わりに

A わりに（は）B = compared with the level of A, B doesn't match. Often used for things that can be more or less, such as price, age, or portion size.

• A わりに B = compared with the level of A, B doesn't match: 安やすい わりに、おいしい＝It's cheap, so you wouldn't expect much, but it's delicious. Good gaps and bad gaps both work.
• Forms: plain form／Nの／なAな + わりに: やせて いる わりに・安やすい わりに・値段ねだんの わりに・静しずかな わりに. For extra emphasis, say わりには.
• How to tell にしては and わりに apart: にしては: before it is one condition (新人しんじん・十月じゅうがつ・初はじめて), meaning "for someone in that role". わりに: before it is a level that can be high or low (安やすい・年とし・値段ねだん・よく 勉強べんきょうした), meaning "compared with that level".
• When both work: You can say both 新人しんじんに しては and 新人しんじんの わりに. With 値段ねだん and 年とし, both are common too, but わりに is more natural. After i-adjectives like 安やすい, people usually use わりに (安やすいに しては is rare and not very natural).

• この 店みせは 安やすい わりに、おいしい。 — This shop is cheap, yet it's delicious.
• 値段ねだんの わりに、量りょうが 多おおい。 — For the price, the portion is big.
• やせて いる わりに、よく 食たべる。 — He's so thin, yet he eats a lot.
• よく 勉強べんきょうした わりに、点てんが 悪わるかった。 — He studied a lot, but his score was bad.
• 年としの わりには、若わかく 見みえる。 — For his age, he looks young.