Expressing various aspects with "yi fangmian"

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When talking about various aspects of a situation, 一方面⋯⋯, (另)一方面⋯⋯ (yī fāngmiàn..., (lìng) yī fāngmiàn...) can be used in a similar way that "On one hand..., on the other hand..." is in English.

Structure

一 方面 ⋯⋯ , (另) 一 方面 ⋯⋯

The two aspects in the sentence can both be similar in tone, or as it is more common in English, they can be in direct opposition of each other.

You will often see the adverb 又, 也 or 还 preceding 另一方面, which serves the purpose of emphasis.

Examples

  • 自己 做饭 一 方面 更 健康 ,一 方面 能 省 点 钱 。Zìjǐ zuòfàn yī fāngmiàn gèng jiànkāng, yī fāngmiàn hái néng shěng diǎn qián.On one hand, cooking for yourself is healthier; on the other hand, it can help to save some money.
  • 一 方面 想 改变 ,一 方面 害怕 改变 。yī fāngmiàn xiǎng gǎibiàn, yī fāngmiàn yòu hàipà gǎibiàn.On one hand, he wants to change; on the other hand, he's afraid of change.
  • 我们 一 方面 不 想 这样 做 ,一 方面 必须 这样 做 。Wǒmen yī fāngmiàn bù xiǎng zhèyàng zuò, yī fāngmiàn bìxū zhèyàng zuò.On one hand, we don't want to do it this way; on the other hand, we must do it this way.
  • 抽烟 一 方面 对 自己 有害 ,一 方面 对 身边 的 人 有害 。Chōuyān yī fāngmiàn duì zìjǐ yǒuhài, yī fāngmiàn duì shēnbiān de rén yǒuhài.On one hand, smoking can do harm to the smoker themself; on the other hand, it can do harm to people around the smoker.
  • 用 智能 手机 一 方面 很 方便 ,另 一 方面 很 容易 浪费 时间 。Yòng zhìnéng shǒujī yī fāngmiàn hěn fāngbiàn, lìng yī fāngmiàn hěn róngyì làngfèi shíjiān.On one hand, it's very convenient to use a smart phone; on the other hand, it's very easy to waste a lot of our time by using it.
  • 我们 一 方面 要 让 客户 满意 ,另 一 方面 要 控制 成本 。 Wǒmen yī fāngmiàn yào ràng kèhù mǎnyì, lìng yī fāngmiàn yào kòngzhì chéngběn.One one hand, we need to make our clients satisfied, but on the other hand, we need to control our cost.
  • 一 方面 他们 的 服务 很 专业 ,另 一 方面 他们 的 价格 很 合理 。Yī fāngmiàn tāmen de fúwù hěn zhuānyè, lìng yī fāngmiàn tāmen de jiàgé hěn hélǐ.On one hand, their service is very professional; on the other hand, their price is reasonable.
  • 这样做 一 方面 能 节省 时间 ,一 方面 能 提高 质量 。Zhèyàng zuò yī fāngmiàn néng jiéshěng shíjiān, yī fāngmiàn néng tígāo zhìliàng.On one hand, we can save time by doing it this way; on the other hand, the quality will be improved.
  • 这个 项目 一 方面 能 增加 当地 人 的 收入 ,另 一 方面 能 保护 当地 的 环境 。 Zhège xiàngmù yī fāngmiàn néng zēngjiā dāngdì rén de shōurù, lìng yī fāngmiàn néng bǎohù dāngdì de huánjìng.One one hand, this project can increase local people's income; on the other hand, it can protect local environment.
  • 政府 一 方面 要 发展 这些 古城 ,一 方面 要 保护 好 这些 古城 。Zhèngfǔ yī fāngmiàn yào fāzhǎn zhèxiē gǔchéng, yī fāngmiàn yào bǎohù hǎo zhèxiē gǔchéng.On one hand, the government needs to develop these old towns; on the other hand, they need to protect them.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books