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N2

反面

はんめん

While, On the other hand, Although, However, On the flip side

都内とないに引ひっ越こして色々いろいろと便利べんりになった反面はんめん、家賃やちんが前まえ住すんでいた所ところの倍ばいになった。

While moving to Tokyo has made many things more convenient, the rent has doubled from where I used to live.

Explanation

Follows the plain form of a verb or adjective (「な/である」 for な-adjectives and nouns) and means 'while ..., on the other hand ...'. The same person or thing has a good side and a bad side: 「一人暮らしは自由な反面、寂しい」 (Living alone is free, but on the other hand lonely). Often the merit comes first, then the cost or drawback.

Mixed up with

「反面」 is only for two sides of the same thing; you can't compare two different people: not 「×兄は優しい反面、弟は意地悪だ」.

「一方で」 is wider: it can also mean one person doing two things at once, or two parties each doing their own thing.

「に対して」 contrasts two different things: 「都市部が過密なのに対して、地方は過疎化が進む」 (Cities are overcrowded, while rural areas are losing people).

Examples

  1. カリフォルニアの夏なつは日本にほんより暑あつい反面はんめん、湿度しつどが低ひくいので過すごしやすいそうです。

    Although summer in California is hotter than Japan, I heard that it is more comfortable because of the low humidity.

  2. 彼かれは慎重しんちょうな反面はんめん、消極しょうきょく的てきなところがあります。

    He is cautious, but on the other hand, he also has a passive side.

  3. あの日本語にほんご教室きょうしつの先生せんせい達たちは日本語にほんごを教おしえるのがとても上手じょうずな反面はんめん、生徒せいと達たちにはとても厳きびしいそうだ。

    Although the teachers at that Japanese language school are very good at teaching Japanese, they are very strict with their students.

Tested 2 times in past papers

N2 · Dec 2023, Q34N1 · Jul 2023, Q36