This shows something has two different sides. One side might be good. The other side might be bad.
Verb [dictionary form] + 反面Primary
い-Adjective + 反面
な-Adjective + な + 反面
Noun + の + 反面
な-Adjective / Noun + である + 反面
This shows something has two different sides. One side might be good. The other side might be bad.
この新しいソフトウェアは非常に強力である反面、操作が難しい。
On the one hand, this new software is extremely powerful; on the other hand, it's difficult to operate.
一人暮らしは自由な反面、時々寂しかった。
Living alone was freeing, but on the other hand, it was sometimes lonely.
彼の指導は厳しくない反面、あまり成長が感じられない。
While his guidance isn't strict, the flip side is that you don't feel much growth.
若い選手が多いチームは勢いがある反面、経験不足が心配される。
A team with many young players has momentum, but on the other hand, there are concerns about their lack of experience.
都会での生活は便利だが、人間関係が希薄になるという反面もある。
Life in the city is convenient, but there is also the downside that personal relationships tend to become superficial.
Imagine a coin. It has two sides. You cannot have one side without the other. This grammar is like that. Two things are always connected. One thing leads to the other. They are like two sides of the same coin.
This is different from 「〜一方で」. 「〜反面」 talks about two opposite parts of the *same thing*. Think of it like two sides of a coin. 「〜一方で」 can talk about two different things. Or it can talk about two different facts. 「〜反面」 shows a stronger difference.
Don't use this when talking about two different things. For example, don't say "I like apples, on the other hand, my brother likes oranges."
Often confused with(2)
More formal alternatives(1)
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