～くせに (〜kuse ni)
Explanation
Used to criticize someone for doing something contrary to what one would expect from their nature or situation.
Formation
Verb (casual) + くせに / い-Adjective + くせに / な-Adjective + な(or の) + くせに / Noun + の + くせに
Detailed Explanation
The grammar point ～くせに is used to express criticism or disapproval toward someone who does something contradictory to their expected nature, role, or prior statement. It's used in fairly casual or spoken contexts and can sound quite critical or accusing. Note that there's a colloquial variant ～くせして, but ～くせに is the standard form taught in most references.
Examples
彼はいつも遅刻してくるくせに、自分が待たされるのが嫌いだ。
Kare wa itsumo chikoku shite kuru kuse ni, jibun ga matasareru no ga kirai da.
He’s always late, yet he hates being kept waiting.
悪いなと言ってるくせに、また同じことを繰り返している。
Warui na to itteru kuse ni, mata onaji koto o kurikaeshite iru.
He says he's sorry, yet he keeps doing the same thing.
彼は背が高いくせに、バスケが下手だ。
Kare wa se ga takai kuse ni, basuke ga heta da.
Despite being tall, he's bad at basketball.
この店は有名なのくせに、サービスが悪い。
Kono mise wa yuumei na no kuse ni, saabisu ga warui.
Despite being famous, this store has poor service.
Grammar content sourced from hanabira.org.