~くせに

〜kuse ni

JLPT N3 Casual Chapter 53: N3: Concession (Even Though / Although / Despite), 1 of 4

Formation

Verb-casual + くせに, い-Adjective + くせに, な-Adjective + な/のくせに, Noun + のくせに

Used to express criticism or disapproval; 'even though', 'despite', 'in spite of'.

When to use

Carries criticism/disdain - "even though X, (which makes Y worse/hypocritical)". Never neutral; always judgmental.

Explanation

The ~くせに grammar point is used to express criticism or disapproval in a sentence. It can be translated as 'even though', 'despite', or 'in spite of' in English. The formation differs depending on whether it is used with a verb, い-adjective, な-adjective, or noun.

Example sentences

Concession (Even Though / Although / Despite)

Corpus examples (23)