Grammar Info
N1 Lesson 4: 3/17

なりに
in one's/its own way, of someone's own, do ones best in one's own way, as much as one can

Structure
Noun + なりに
それ + なりに
［い］Adjective + なりに
［な］Adjective + なりに
Noun (A) + なり + の + Noun (B)
それ + なりの + Noun
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  • [なり is used to express that something is/was done in a way unique/appropriate to Noun. It emphasizes that it might not be quite perfect since it is limited to Noun's level/abilities, often with a nuance of “as much as one can do, but within capabilities”]
  • [Similarly, with adjectives, it means to do something in spite of the trait or issue represented by the adjective. In this case, なり can be rephrased to が、け(れ)ど(も), and so on]
  • [なり in expressions like 言いなり、道なり means to follow something without any deviations (lit. (do) like someone says, (go) like the path/course)]
  • [なり is sometimes used with なら or ば as Phrase1なら/ば + Phrase2なり to express what the speaker feels]
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なつみちゃん：「田舎（いなか）って本当（ほんとう）に不便（ふべん）だよね」
こまりちゃん：「田舎（いなか）は不便（ふべん）な時（とき）もあるけど、それなりに魅力（みりょく）もあるよ。」
Natsumi: "The countryside is really inconvenient, right?"
Komari: "It might be inconvenient sometimes, but it also has its own charm."
[なり can also be used for rebuttal/putting oneself or others in better light due to the positive nuance of “doing as much as one can”]
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    • 「子供（こども）はいいね。何（なん）にも心配（しんぱい）ごとも無（な）いし...」
    「でも、子供（こども）には子供（こども）なりの苦（くる）しみがあるんだけど。」
    "Children have it nice. No worries at all…"
    "But children have their own worries though."
    [Noun1(に)はNoun1/それ + なり are common patterns. Often used with がある、持っている and so on. The first noun can be omitted]
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    • 彼（かれ）は下手（へた）なりに頑張（がんば）ってラブレターを書（か）いた。
    For all of his lack of skill, he did the best that he could to write a love letter.
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