Lesson 156: 一方で・反面・ながらも・つつ
N2 · Lesson 156 · 18 min — Two sides, the other side of one thing, “although… but…”, “while…”: Neko-sensei tells the truth
Last lesson, Neko-sensei went home to Kyoto for New Year and found out that his grandmother is はな! This lesson has four ways to show contrast: 一方で (two sides side by side), 反面 (the flip side of one thing), ながらも (although…, still…), and つつ (while…; although…, still…). Read the comic first!
After this lesson, you can:
- Use 一方で to say “on the one hand…, on the other hand…”: 楽しかった 一方で、大変だった
- Use 反面 to say “the flip side of the same thing is…”: うれしい 反面、こわい
- Use ながら（も） to say “although…, still…”, and tell it apart from the ながら that means “while doing”
- Use つつ（も） for “while doing” (formal writing) and “although…, still…”: 悪いと 思いつつ
Neko-sensei's Confession
Neko-sensei is back from New Year in Kyoto with a huge secret. (反面 = flip side, 気づく = notice, 祖母 = (my) grandmother, 驚く = be surprised)
一方で and 反面 = two sides. ながらも and つつも = “although…, still…”. Next lesson: after Rin wakes up, what will the two of them decide?
Words in this lesson: contrast, surprise and daily life
- 〜一方で (ippō de): on the one hand…, on the other hand… (two sides)
- 〜反面 (hanmen): (the flip side of the same thing) but on the other hand…
- 〜ながら（も） (nagara mo): although…, still… (contrast)
- 〜つつ（も） (tsutsu mo): while doing… (formal writing); although…, still… (contrast)
- 気づく (kizuku): to notice, to realize
- 祖母 (sobo): (my) grandmother
- 驚く (odoroku): to be surprised, to be startled
- 都会 (tokai): city, big city
- 田舎 (inaka): countryside
- 家賃 (yachin): rent
- 給料 (kyūryō): salary
- 狭い (semai): narrow, small (a space)
- うるさい (urusai): noisy
- 自由 (jiyū): free, freedom
- 一人旅 (hitoritabi): traveling alone
- 残念ながら (zannen nagara): unfortunately, regrettably
- 中止 (chūshi): cancellation, stopping (an event)
- 景色 (keshiki): scenery, view
Grammar 1 / 4: 一方で
Plain form (な-adj → な, noun → である) + 一方（で） = on the one hand…, on the other hand…: it puts two different sides next to each other. 都会は 便利な 一方で、家賃が 高い = The city is convenient, but on the other hand rent is high.
- Form: plain form + 一方（で） (なA → な, noun → である): Verbs and い-adjectives use the plain form: 楽しかった 一方で、増える 一方で. な-adjectives add な or である: 便利な／便利である 一方で. Nouns add である, not の: 学生である 一方で. で can be dropped, giving “一方、”.
- Meaning: on the one hand…, on the other hand…: It puts two sides of one thing, or two different things, side by side for comparison. It does not have to be one good and one bad. It can simply mean “this side is like this, that side is like that.” Two sides of one subject (都会は 便利な 一方で、家賃が 高い) can also use the next pattern, 反面.
- It can compare two different subjects: 兄は〜一方で、弟は〜: the older and younger brother are two people, and 一方で can still compare them. This is the biggest difference from the next pattern, 反面.
- Don't mix it up with 一方だ from Lesson 152: At the end of a sentence, “verb dictionary form + 一方だ” = more and more… (増える 一方だ), and it only follows the dictionary form of a verb. In the middle of a sentence, “一方で、” = on the other hand. Check the position: at the end it means “more and more”; in the middle, followed by a comma, it means “on the other hand”.
- 京都の 旅行は 楽しかった 一方で、大変でした。 — The Kyoto trip was fun, but on the other hand it was tiring.
- 都会は 便利な 一方で、家賃が 高い。 — The city is convenient, but on the other hand rent is high.
- 田舎は 静かな 一方で、バスが 少ない。 — The countryside is quiet, but on the other hand there are few buses.
- 兄は 外で 遊ぶのが 好きな 一方で、弟は 本が 好きだ。 — The older brother likes playing outside, while the younger brother likes reading.
- 観光客が 増える 一方で、古い 店は 減って いる。 — Tourists keep increasing, but on the other hand old shops keep decreasing.
Grammar 2 / 4: 反面
Plain form (な-adj → な, noun → である) + 反面 = (one thing) is…, but its flip side is…: one subject has two opposite qualities. この 町は 便利な 反面、うるさい = This town is convenient, but in return it is noisy.
- Form: plain form + 反面 (なA → な, noun → である): The same as 一方で: うれしい 反面、便利な（である）反面、上がった 反面、学生である 反面. Nouns use である, not の. A comma usually follows directly, without で.
- Meaning: one thing, but the flip side is…: One person or thing has two opposite qualities at the same time. The most common case is “good ↔ bad”: 便利な 反面、うるさい.
- Not for two different subjects: 兄は〜反面、弟は〜 ✗: the older and younger brother are two people, so use 一方で. For two sides of one subject, both 反面 and 一方で work (反面 feels more “opposite”). Easy way to remember: 反面 = the front and back of one coin; 一方で = two sides compared side by side, with a wider range.
- It also works for mixed feelings: うれしい 反面、こわい／さびしい: one piece of news makes you both happy and uneasy. Neko-sensei uses it to explain his mixed feelings.
- うれしい 反面、ちょっと こわい 話です。 — This makes me happy, but the flip side is a little scary too.
- この 町は 便利な 反面、ちょっと うるさい。 — This town is convenient, but in return it is a bit noisy.
- この 仕事は 給料が いい 反面、休みが 少ない。 — This job pays well, but on the other hand there is little time off.
- スマホは 便利な 反面、目が 疲れやすい。 — Phones are convenient, but they also tire your eyes easily.
- 一人旅は 自由な 反面、ちょっと さびしい。 — Traveling alone is free and easy, but turn it around and it is a little lonely too.
Grammar 3 / 4: ながら（も）
Verb ます-stem / Aい / なA・N + ながら（も） = although…, still…: the two parts go against each other. 毎日 会って いながらも、気づかなかった = Although we met every day, I never noticed.
- Form: verb ます-stem / Aい / なA・N + ながら（も）: For verbs, drop ます: 会います → 会いながら; 会って います → 会って いながら. い-adjectives attach directly: 狭いながら. な-adjectives and nouns attach directly: 残念ながら、子どもながら.
- Meaning: although…, still… (contrast): The first part is a fact. The second part is the opposite, unexpected result. Adding も (ながらも) makes the “still” feeling stronger.
- How to tell “while doing” from “although”?: The “while doing” ながら follows an action, and two actions happen at the same time: 歩きながら 食べる. The “although” ながら often follows a state (いる, 知って いる, an adjective, a noun), and the two parts go against each other. When you see ながらも, it is always “although”.
- The subject must be the same: 雨が 降りながらも、出かけた ✗: the rain is falling, but I am the one who went out. When the subjects differ, use のに or けれど: 雨が 降って いるのに、出かけた. Note: 残念ながら is a set phrase (it shows the speaker's feeling), so the “same subject” rule does not apply.
- 毎日 会って いながらも、気づきませんでした。 — We meet every day, but I never noticed.
- この 部屋は 狭いながらも、明るくて 気持ちが いい。 — This room is small, but it is bright and comfortable.
- 残念ながら、明日の 旅行は 中止です。 — Unfortunately, tomorrow's trip is canceled.
- 体に 悪いと 知って いながら、また 食べて しまった。 — Even though I knew it was bad for my health, I ate it again.
- ピヨは 子どもながら、漢字を たくさん 知って いる。 — Piyo is a child, but she knows many kanji.
Grammar 4 / 4: つつ（も）
Verb ます-stem + つつ（も） = ① while doing… (formal writing); ② although…, still… (contrast, often after 思う・知る). 悪いと 思いつつ、いただきます = I feel bad about it, but I'll eat.
- Form: verb ます-stem + つつ（も）: For verbs, drop ます: 思います → 思いつつ、知ります → 知りつつ. つつ only follows verbs, never adjectives or nouns.
- Meaning ①: while doing… (formal): Like ながら, two actions happen at the same time: 歩きつつ、聞いた. It is mostly used in writing and news. In conversation, just use ながら.
- Meaning ②: although…, still… (contrast): The most common pairs are 悪いと 思いつつ (feeling bad, but still…), 知りつつ (knowing…, but still…), and 言おうと 思いつつ (wanting to say it, but…). Adding も (つつも) makes the contrast clearer.
- Don't mix it up with つつ ある from Lesson 152: つつ ある = gradually becoming… (change): 増えつつ ある. In this lesson, つつ／つつも is followed by another clause, not by ある.
- 悪いと 思いつつ、いただきます。 — I feel bad about it, but I'll eat.
- 体に 悪いと 知りつつ、夜 ラーメンを 食べた。 — Knowing it is bad for my health, I still ate ramen at night.
- 早く 言おうと 思いつつも、なかなか 言えなかった。 — I kept meaning to say it sooner, but I just couldn't.
- 京都の 町を 歩きつつ、祖母の 話を 聞いた。 — Walking through the streets of Kyoto, I listened to Grandma talk.
- 勉強しようと 思いつつ、スマホを 見て しまう。 — I want to study, but I keep scrolling on my phone.