Expressing various aspects with "yi fangmian"

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 sometimes see the adverb 又 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 可以 省 点 钱 。Zìjǐ zuòfàn yī fāngmiàn gèng jiànkāng, yī fāngmiàn kěyǐ shěng diǎn qián.On one hand, cook for yourself is more healthier; on the other hand, it can help to save some money.
  • 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.One 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</em yào kòngzhì chéngběn.One one hand, we need to make our clients satisfied, but on the other hand, we need to control our cost.
  • 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.
  • 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.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books