가: 지금 다니고 있는 회사가 어때요?
How do you like your current company?
나: 일은 많은 반면에 월급은 적어서 회사를 옮길까 해요.
There’s a lot of work to do, but the pay is low, so I’m considering changing jobs.
가: 양강 씨는 정말 운동을 잘하네요!
Yang Gang is really good at sports!
나: 하하! 저는 운동은 잘하는 반면에 공부는 못해요.
Ha-ha! While I am good at sports, I’m not a good student.
This expression is used to express the fact that two things are opposites. It can also be used to state both the positive and negative characteristics of something together in the same sentence. It can be used with the particle 에 or in the form -(으)ㄴ/는 반면.
• 지하철은 빠른 반면에 출퇴근 시간에는 사람이 많습니다.
While the subway is fast, it’s crowded during rush hour.
• 카일 리 씨는 읽기는 잘하는 반면에 말하기는 잘 못해요.
Kylie is good at reading, but on the other hand, she’s not good at speaking.
• 저 연기자는 연기를 잘한다고 호평을 받은 반면 악평도 많이 들었어요.
While that actor has received a lot of praise for his acting, he has also been criticized a lot.
When the preceding and following clauses represent opposites, the form -(으)ㄴ/는 데 반해 can also be used.
• 그 집은 비싼 데 반해 주변 환경은 별로 안 좋은 것 같습니다.
That house is expensive, but on the other hand, the surrounding environment doesn’t look very good.
• 요줌 수입은 증가하는 데 반해 수출은 감소하고 있습니다.
In contrast to the recent increase in imports, exports are decreasing.
>> You can click on the title of each grammar below to learn the other grammar which also expresses ‘Contrast’:
01. -기는 하지만, -기는 -지만
02. -(으)ㄴ/는 반면에
03. -(으)ㄴ/는데도
>> Full of Intermediate grammar: Click here
