くせにeven though (with blame)
"Even though", said with blame or a sneer. Someone isn't acting the way they should, given what they are, what they know or what they said.
He has been warned again and again, and he still went and made the same mistake.
You don't know the first thing about it, so stop saying whatever you like.
How to form it
Plain form + くせに
A noun takes の: 子どものくせに. A な-adjective takes な: 暇なくせに.
- Before it
- What makes the behavior inexcusable: who the person is, what they know, what they promised.
- After it
- What they do anyway, or an order to stop doing it: 言わないで, 言うな. Both halves are about the one you are blaming.
- Said about
- Someone else, to their face or behind their back. Not normally yourself.
- Tone
- Blame or scorn. It can't be made polite, so it isn't said to a boss or a customer. Between friends it can be teasing.
- Where you'll meet it
- Quarrels, grumbling, manga and drama.
In use
He is the one in charge, and yet whenever something goes wrong he blames someone else.
He doesn't know much about it, yet he talks as if he knew everything.
This umbrella cost a lot, and it broke after I'd used it just twice.
Also said about a thing that has let you down.
くせに or のに?
のに is the ordinary "even though". It can carry surprise, disappointment or admiration, about anyone or anything, yourself included. くせに only blames.
Even though my younger brother has plenty of free time, he won't help with the housework.
You are let down.
My younger brother has plenty of free time, and he still doesn't help with the housework at all.
You are attacking him: he has no excuse.
Not said: 雨が
(Even though it is raining, the children are playing outside.)
Rain in one half, children in the other, and nobody is being blamed. It is 降っているのに.
Stopping at くせに
In a quarrel people often stop there. The rest, "so who are you to talk?", is understood.
You're one to talk. You forgot your promise too!
Close neighbours
のにN4
The ordinary "even though", with no open blame, and the one to use about yourself.
Even though I got enough sleep, I'm still sleepy.
にしてはN3
"For a …": measured against what you would expect, with no blame. Often praise.
This child is very calm for a ten-year-old.
Check yourself
1Which one fits?
彼女は
Choose an answer to see why.
2Which sentence sounds natural?
Choose an answer to see why.
More detail
くせして is the same, rougher and more casual.
He never does a thing himself, and yet all he does is complain.
More sentences
They promised, and then they didn't come or even get in touch.
They knew what was going on, yet they didn't tell me a thing.
For such a famous restaurant, the service here is terrible.