"Whereas" and "on the other hand"
In conversation, two things are set side by side with けど. Writing and careful speech have のに対して, 反面 and 一方で, which English turns into "while", "whereas" or "on the other hand". The choice among them turns on the kind of pair: two different people or things, two opposite sides of one thing, or two things one person does.
| Form | The pair | Where |
|---|---|---|
| けど | Any two facts that differ | Everyday conversation |
| のに対して | Two different people or things | Mostly writing: essays, reports, news |
| 反面 | Two opposite sides of one thing, usually good and bad | Mostly writing: essays, reviews, reports |
| 一方（で） | Two different people or things, two sides of one thing, or two things one person does | Writing and careful speech |
| にひきかえ | Two things in sharp contrast, and you judge one of them | Mostly writing: essays, reviews, novels |
けど: in conversation
Full pageが・
けれど and けれども are a more careful けど.
It was cold yesterday, but it is warm today.
Two different days.
This job is demanding, but it is rewarding.
Two sides of one job.
のに対して: two different people or things
Full pageに対して・
のに対して sets two different people, places or times side by side: A is like this, B is like that. It has nothing to do with the のに of "even though". After a noun on its own, に対して usually means "toward", not a contrast.
My older brother is quiet, whereas my younger brother talks a lot.
The morning flight was full, whereas the evening flight had plenty of empty seats.
反面: two opposite sides of one thing
Full page反面N3
反面 gives the two opposite sides of one thing (the same town, job or person): usually a good side, then a bad one. The second side often has も. The tone is fair-minded: you are weighing something up, not complaining about it.
This town has good transport, but rents are high.
Transport and rents are two sides of one thing, the town.
This job is hard, but it is rewarding too.
The bad side can come first.
一方（で）: all three kinds of pair
Full page一方（で）N3
一方で only sets a second fact beside the first, so it fits all three kinds of pair. のに対して and 反面 each fit one kind, and so tell your reader which kind it is. The で can be left out.
This town is rich in nature, but it has little public transport.
Two sides of one thing. 反面 would fit too.
The older sister chose to study abroad, while the younger brother decided to take a job in their hometown.
Two different people. のに対して would fit too.
He teaches at a university and also runs science classes for local children.
One person doing both. Neither 反面 nor のに対して would fit.
In casual conversation, people join the two things one person does with the て-form or し, and も: 昼間は働いているし、夜は学校にも行っている.
Where it goes wrong
English "on the other hand" can turn to a different person or simply add another fact. 反面 does neither.
Not said: 兄は
(My older brother is quiet, whereas my younger brother talks a lot.)
Two different people, so it is 静かなのに対して.
Not said: 彼は
(He works for a company, and on weekends he also teaches soccer.)
Working and teaching are not opposites, so it is 働く一方で.
にひきかえ: a sharp contrast, and you judge one of the two
Full pageにひきかえN1
にひきかえ is "in sharp contrast to". The two things are utterly different, and you have a feeling about the difference: let down by one of them, or impressed. What you are judging comes second, after what you compare it with.
The older sister is always well prepared. Her younger brother, in sharp contrast, does nothing until just before the deadline.
After a clause にひきかえ takes の, as に対して does. のに対して only compares, and のにひきかえ judges.
Last summer was cool, whereas this year the extreme heat goes on and on.
Two summers side by side, as a weather report would put it.
Last summer was cool. This year, by contrast, the extreme heat goes on and on.
The same two summers, from someone who is suffering through this one.
Starting a new sentence
Each form has a counterpart that starts a new sentence, with the same meaning.
| Inside one sentence | Starting a new sentence |
|---|---|
| けど | でも |
| のに対して | それに |
| 反面 | その |
| 一方（で） | 一方 |
| にひきかえ | それに |
The population is growing in the cities. In the countryside, meanwhile, it keeps falling.
How a news story turns to the other side.
The old building had poor natural light and was bitterly cold in winter. The new one, by contrast, is bright and warm.
People also say それにひきかえ out loud: それにひきかえ、うちの子は…, sighing over their own child.
Other ways to set two things side by side
逆にN3Everyday
"Conversely": at the start of a sentence it sets the opposite case beside the first.
In summer we get a lot of customers and it's busy. Conversely, winter is slow.
に比べてN3Spoken and written
"Compared with". It measures one against the other: more, less, or not much different.
Compared with last year, there has been less rain this summer.
かわりにN3Everyday
A trade-off: both halves are true, and one makes up for the other.
These shoes are expensive, but in return they last a long time.
Other things "while" and 一方 can mean
ながらN5
"While" for two things one person does at once. 一方で is not about time.
I ate dinner while watching television.
一方だN2
At the end of a sentence: something keeps rising, falling or getting worse, and there is no second side.
The work keeps piling up.