This grammar shows surprise. Something is different from what you expect. It can be better or worse than you thought.
Verb [dictionary form] + わりに（は）Primary
い-Adjective + わりに（は）
な-Adjective [+ な] + わりに（は）
Noun + の + わりに（は）
This grammar shows surprise. Something is different from what you expect. It can be better or worse than you thought.
値段のわりには、このレストランの料理は美味しいね。
Considering the price, the food at this restaurant is delicious, isn't it?
彼はたくさん勉強したわりには、試験の成績が良くなかった。
Considering he studied a lot, his test scores were not good.
このアパートは駅から遠いわりには、家賃が高い。
For an apartment that's far from the station, the rent is high.
年のわりには若く見えるその女性は、実は私の祖母です。
That woman, who looks young for her age, is actually my grandmother.
初心者であるわりに、彼のプレゼンテーションは非常に説得力がありました。
Considering he is a beginner, his presentation was extremely persuasive.
This grammar shows surprise. It's like saying, "That's not what I expected!" The result is different from what you thought. It can be better or worse. The small "は" just adds a bit more focus.
This is different from "~nishiwa" because "~wari niwa" talks about a general group. For example, "for a child." "~nishiwa" talks about one specific thing. For example, "for this child." Also, "~wari niwa" is neutral. "~kuseni" shows strong negative feelings.
Watch out: Do not mix up '〜わりに(は)' with '〜のに'. '〜のに' just shows two different things. It can show you are upset. 'Even though I ate, I am still hungry.' '〜わりに(は)' means the second thing is surprising. It is surprising compared to the first thing. 'I ate a lot. But I am still hungry. This is surprising for how much I ate.'
Don't use this when something is always true. For example, don't say "For a human, you have two legs." It is always true for humans. You use it when there is a range of possibilities.
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