Structure
Verb + わりに
[い]Adjective + わりに
[な]Adjective + な + わりに
Noun + の + わりに
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Standard
About 割に
As an adverb, 割に is usually used in a similar way to 'although', 'despite', or 'comparatively' in English.
割に may be used at the beginning of a sentence, or after any word/phrase that it is highlighting as being 'comparative'. When following な-Adjectives or nouns, な or の will be required.
割 itself is a noun meaning 'proportionate', and is primarily used as a suffix. 割に may be thought of as a direct extension of this use, as 'proportionately' is its closest literal meaning.
Fun Fact
While 割に is often thought to make comparisons between things, it actually only ever compares something to itself (or things within the same category). The 'proportion' that is then highlighted is something that is not common within the category of (A).
Caution
Both 割と and 割に are quite common expressions. However, 割と is used far more often in casual speech to show that something is 'unexpectedly (A)'. It will also frequently be used as a stand-alone expression, appearing directly before the word (usually an adjective) that is of a 'considerable' amount.
Related
Misc.
Examples
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今日は冬の割に暖かい。
Today is rather warm for winter.
高い食べ物の割に、美味しくなさそう。
The expensive food looks unexpectedly unappetizing.
私はたくさん勉強した割に、テストの点数が悪かった。
Although I studied a lot, I got a bad score on the test.
あの人は頭が良い割に、コミュニケーションが苦手です。
Although that person is smart, he is bad at communication.
疲れている割には、かなり動けた方だと思います。
I think he is quite active for how tired he is.
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~割りに(は)
E-Japanese
How to use にしては & わりに(は)
MaggieSensei
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完全マスター N2
page 86-1
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割に – Grammar Discussion
Most Recent Replies (7 in total)
BreadmanNin
In both the explanation sentences and the example sentences, 割に is sometimes followed by は, and sometimes it is not. But I can’t figure out when は is necessary and what function it has. Does anybody know?
Asher
@779 Sorry about the very late reply! I hope this answer still helps. When comparing to のに, わりに is different in the fact that it is making a qualitative or quantitative judgement about what precedes it, and will then be followed by a statement that expresses how the actual situation doesn’t meet that expectation. Basically 'The degree of (A) doesn’t match up with (B). のに can also have that nuance but doesn’t quite push the emphasis on the expectation of (A) like わりに does.
@BreadmanNin は is more of a nuance thing rather than something that is ‘necessary’. None of the examples strictly need it. When は is included, it even further emphasizes that the opening statement is a situation within which (B) is unexpected.
BreadmanNin
Thank you for the very helpful and concise answer!
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