connective N2 common politewritten
〜反面 — on the other hand / while ~
〜反面 ・ はんめん
Meaning
- while ~ / on the other hand / but at the same time — points out an opposite side of the very same thing
Key sentence
この仕事は給料がいい反面、とても忙しい。
This job pays well, but on the other hand it's very busy.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Plain-form clause (な-adj な/である; noun である) | [V/i-adj plain] / [na-adj な] / [N である] + 反面 | 便利な反面 / 厳しい反面 |
Examples
都会は便利な反面、生活費が高い。
The city is convenient, while at the same time the cost of living is high.
彼は人に厳しい反面、自分にはもっと厳しい。
He's hard on others, but on the other hand even harder on himself.
Easily confused with
に対して 反面 contrasts two opposite aspects of the SAME thing (one job: good pay vs busy). に対して contrasts two SEPARATE things against each other (this job vs that job). 一方（で） Both mean 'while / on the other hand.' 一方で can contrast two different subjects too; 反面 stays on the two contrasting sides of one subject and feels more evaluative (a pro vs a con).
See 〜反面 in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜反面 the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Advanced Japanese Grammar.