connective N2 common politewritten
〜一方(で) — on one hand / while / meanwhile
〜一方(で) ・ いっぽうで
Meaning
- on one hand ~ (while on the other) / while ~ / meanwhile — sets two coexisting, often contrasting facts side by side
Key sentence
彼は仕事に厳しい一方で、部下にはとても優しい。
He is strict about work, while at the same time being very kind to his subordinates.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb / i-adjective (plain); na-adjective + な; Noun + である | [clause A] 一方(で)、[clause B] | 輸出が増える一方で、輸入は減った |
When: Written/formal. The two clauses present a balanced contrast or two parallel aspects of one situation.
Examples
都市の人口は増える一方で、地方は過疎化が進む。
While city populations grow, rural areas keep depopulating.
この薬はよく効く一方、副作用も強い。
This medicine is very effective; on the other hand, its side effects are strong too.
Easily confused with
〜反面 反面 contrasts two sides of the *same* thing, often a merit vs. a demerit (便利な反面高い); 一方で can do that too but also simply runs two parallel situations side by side. 〜に対して に対して sharply opposes A *versus* B as a direct comparison (A is X に対して B is Y); 一方で presents them as coexisting facts rather than head-to-head opposites. 〜一方だ Same 一方, different pattern: 一方だ (sentence-final) means 'keeps getting more and more ~' (one-way trend); 一方(で) (mid-sentence connector) means 'on the other hand'.
See 〜一方(で) in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜一方(で) 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.