～にしては
for / considering
～にしては takes a fact as a standard and then points out that the reality does not match the expectation that standard creates. It attaches to nouns or plain-form verbs and corresponds to English “for ...” or “considering ...”, as in “good, for a beginner”.
1. Noun + にしては
The noun sets the expectation and the main clause reports something that deviates from it, in either a positive or a negative direction.
初めてにしては上手だ。
“You're good, for a first-timer.”
- 初めて（はじめて）= the first time
- にしては = for, considering
- 上手（じょうず）= skilled, good at it
- だ = plain copula (is)
今日は冬にしては暖かい。
“It's warm today, for winter.”
- 今日（きょう）= today
- は = topic marker
- 冬（ふゆ）= winter
- 暖かい（あたたかい）= warm
2. Verb (plain form) + にしては
With a verb, the clause before にしては describes what happened, and the main clause notes that the outcome is unexpected given that.
この字は、子供が書いたにしては上手だ。
“This handwriting is good, considering a child wrote it.”
- この字（このじ）= this handwriting, these characters
- 子供（こども）= child
- が = subject marker
- 書いた（かいた）= wrote
- 上手（じょうず）= skilled, well done
Note the contrast with ～にしても: にしても concedes a point and pushes past it (“even if it's expensive”), while にしては holds reality up against an expectation and reports the mismatch.
How to form it
Noun + にしては / Verb (plain form) + にしては
- 初めて（はじめて）= the first time → 初めてにしては（はじめてにしては）= for a first time
- 冬（ふゆ）= winter → 冬にしては（ふゆにしては）= for winter
- 書いた（かいた）= wrote → 書いたにしては（かいたにしては）= considering (someone) wrote it
Key idea
～にしては means “given that X, you'd expect one thing, but the reality is different”. X sets the bar, and the main clause lands above or below it.
Built on the same stem
Updated .