日本語道場

Nihongo Dojo — N3 → N2

Grammar

N3

～かわりに

~kawari ni

instead of, in return for

When to use it

Use ～かわりに when one thing substitutes for another (「部長のかわりに私が」), or when a concession is granted in exchange for something (「値引きするかわりに数量を」). It is the standard neutral choice in negotiation and reporting; for a purely contrastive "on the other hand" nuance, ～反面 or ～一方で reads better in formal writing.

Formation

  • Verb: plain non-past (dictionary form) + かわりに — 送るかわりに。 Past forms are rare; use the non-past even for future/hypothetical exchanges.
  • Noun: noun + の + かわりに — 会議のかわりに
  • na-adjective: ～な + かわりに — 便利なかわりに (contrast sense only)
  • i-adjective: plain form + かわりに — 安いかわりに (contrast sense only)
  • Nominal 代わり can also stand alone: 代わりに私が伺います。The kanji 代わりに is common in email; かわりに in kana is also acceptable.

Examples

  • Today I will be presenting in place of our department head.

  • In return for the discount, please increase the order volume.

  • Could you lower the unit price in exchange for extending the deadline?

  • Next week's meeting will be held online instead of in person.

  • We'll outsource part of the work in exchange for cutting overtime.