Korean Lessons ᚛ Level 7 - Upper-Intermediate Korean #2 (Lessons 181 to 210) ᚛ Lesson 185 - Whereas, on the other hand in Korean [-(으)ㄴ/는 반면에]

Whereas, on the other hand in Korean [-(으)ㄴ/는 반면에]

In this course: 반면에 / 반면

We have already seen several ways to express a contrast in Korean, with -지만, -(으)ㄴ/는데 or -지. The expression -(으)ㄴ/는 반면에 is yet another one: it sets side by side two opposite aspects of the same thing or of two comparable elements, the good side and the bad side, what one does and what the other does not. In English, it translates as "whereas", "while", "on the other hand" or "but then again".

Whereas, on the other hand with -(으)ㄴ/는 반면에

The structure is used in the following manner:
[First aspect: … Adjectival form] 반면에 [Opposite aspect]

The noun 반면 means "the opposite side", hence the meaning "on the other hand". The preceding verb takes the adjectival form: -(으)ㄴ for an adjective, -는 for an action verb in the present, -(으)ㄴ for an action verb in the past, and -았/었던 for an adjective in the past; after a noun, we write [Noun]인 반면에. The final 에 often drops, especially in writing: -(으)ㄴ/는 반면.

현민이는 운동은 잘하는 반면에 학업 성적은 좋지 않은 편이었어요.
→ Hyunmin was good at sports, whereas his school grades were rather poor.

우리 엄마는 요리 실력이 뛰어난 반면에 청소는 꼼꼼하게 잘하지 못하셔.
→ My mother is an outstanding cook; on the other hand, she is not very thorough when it comes to cleaning.

지금 하는 일은 스트레스를 많이 받는 반면에 급여가 매우 좋은 편이에요.
→ My current job is very stressful, but then again the pay is quite good.

등산은 정상에 올라가는 게 힘든 반면에 정상에 올라 멋진 풍경을 볼 때면 힘든 게 다 잊혀.
→ In hiking, climbing to the top is grueling, but once you are up there looking at the view, all the hardship is forgotten.

하율이는 행동이 빠른 반면에 꼼꼼하지 못하고 덤벙거렸어요.
→ Hayul was quick; on the other hand, she lacked care and rushed things.

개발 도상국들은 기술적으로는 빠르게 발전한 반면에 시민의식은 여전히 그대로였습니다.
→ Developing countries progressed rapidly on the technical side, whereas civic awareness remained unchanged.

지은이는 실습이 끝나서 섭섭한 반면에 그동안 고생한 것을 생각하니 한편으로는 속이 후련했다.
→ Jieun was sad that her internship was over, but on the other hand, thinking of all the hardship, she felt relieved.

작년 한국의 여름은 더웠던 반면에 올여름은 그렇게 덥지 않았어요.
→ Last summer in Korea was hot, whereas this summer has not been so hot.

Notice the contrastive particle 은/는 on the two compared elements (운동은 … 성적은, 요리 실력이 … 청소는, 작년 … 올여름은): it is almost systematic with 반면에, since we are contrasting term by term.

When to choose 반면에

Exercises

Traveling to South Korea can be an unforgettable experience. But when you don’t speak Korean, everything gets more complicated: ordering in a restaurant or café becomes stressful, you can’t understand signs or directions, asking for help in case of trouble is nearly impossible, and most importantly, you miss out on the very essence of a successful trip to Korea: connecting with the locals.

Since English - Korean machine translators can’t always be trusted (the two languages work in completely different ways), it’s essential to prepare yourself in advance to fully enjoy your trip to South Korea!

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