connective N3 common casualwritten
くせに — even though
くせに
Meaning
- even though ~ / and yet ~ — a concession carrying blame, criticism, or scorn
Key sentence
何も知らないくせに、偉そうに言うな。
Don't talk big when you don't even know anything.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb/i-adj plain, na-adj な, noun + の | [V/A plain] / na-adj な / N の + くせに | 子どものくせに / 下手なくせに |
Examples
本当は嬉しいくせに、平気なふりをしている。
She's actually happy, yet she's pretending not to care.
自分だってできないくせに、人のことばかり責める。
He can't do it himself either, and yet he does nothing but blame others.
When you can't use it
- Both clauses must share the SAME subject, and the tone is critical — don't use it for a neutral contrast or to describe yourself approvingly (✗ 忙しいくせに手伝ってくれた → use のに).
Easily confused with
See くせに in real sentences
Jengo shows くせに the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Intermediate Japanese Grammar.