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Grammar / Level 3 / Lesson 78

는 반면에, 는 대신에, 는 한편: on the other hand

By Daniel Buckley · 10 minute read · TOPIK 3

Vocabulary

  1. 월세 - monthly rent
  2. 일자리 - a job, a position
  3. 집값 - house prices
  4. 수입 - income
  5. 지출 - spending
  6. 늘어나다 - to increase
  7. 줄다 - to decrease
  8. 대학원 - graduate school
  9. 양 - amount, portion size
  10. 세금 - tax

You're looking at a flat. The rent is low and it's a long way from anywhere. ~지만 and ~는데 can both say that, but they treat it as a passing "but", and a flat hunt is a weighing-up.

These three patterns are for weighing up, and all three sit on the modifier you know from 는 것. The noun after it tells you how the two facts relate: 반면 is the reverse side, 대신 is a replacement, and 한편 is one side of what's going on.

는 반면에: the other side

반면 means the reverse side, so A는 반면에 B turns the thing over and shows what's on the back. A and B point in opposite directions, and both are true. It's more formal than ~지만, and it suits essays, reviews, the news and careful speech.

Making 는 반면에

  • Verbs, and 있다 and 없다: 는 반면에.잘하다 → 잘하는 반면에맛있다 → 맛있는 반면에
  • Adjectives: ㄴ/은 반면에.싸다 → 싼 반면에많다 → 많은 반면에
  • Past verbs: ㄴ/은 반면에.늘어나다 → 늘어난 반면에
  • Nouns: 인 반면에.의사 → 의사인 반면에

Pick a verb

잘하다잘하잘하는 반면에

Pick a verb

싸다싸싼 반면에

  1. 이 집은 월세가 싼 반면에 학교에서 멀어요.

    The rent on this place is low, but on the other hand it's a long way from school.

  2. 서울은 일자리가 많은 반면에 집값이 비싸요.

    Seoul has plenty of jobs, but on the other hand housing is expensive.

  3. 한국어는 문법이 어려운 반면에 한글은 배우기 쉬워요.

    Korean grammar is hard, whereas Hangul is easy to learn.

  4. 형은 말이 많은 반면에 동생은 조용해요.

    The older brother talks a lot, whereas the younger one is quiet.

  5. 제 친구는 영어는 잘하는 반면에 수학은 못해요.

    My friend is good at English, but hopeless at maths.

  6. 작년에는 수입이 늘어난 반면에 지출은 줄었습니다.

    Income went up last year, while spending went down.

Korean often drops the 에, so 싼 반면 is the same thing. 반면에 can also start a sentence of its own. A past adjective needs a modifier you haven't met yet, so leave that for the lesson on 던.

는 대신에: the trade-off

대신에 after a noun says one thing stands in for another. After a verb or adjective, it does the same job in two ways. Sometimes A doesn't happen and B happens in its place. Sometimes A does happen, and B makes up for it.

Making 는 대신에

  • Verbs, and 있다 and 없다: 는 대신에.타다 → 타는 대신에
  • Adjectives: ㄴ/은 대신에.비싸다 → 비싼 대신에
  • Past verbs: ㄴ/은 대신에.일하다 → 일한 대신에

In place of it. A is the thing you don't do. This is the plain "instead of", and A usually takes 는 even when the story is in the past.

  1. 버스를 타는 대신에 걸어갔어요.

    I walked instead of taking the bus.

  2. 커피를 마시는 대신에 물을 많이 마셔요.

    I drink a lot of water instead of coffee.

  3. 오늘은 밖에서 먹는 대신에 집에서 요리했어요.

    Instead of eating out, I cooked at home today.

In exchange for it. A is true, and B is what balances it. This can be a fact about the world, or a deal you're offering someone.

  1. 이 식당은 비싼 대신에 양이 많아요.

    This restaurant is pricey, but it makes up for it with big portions.

  2. 일이 힘든 대신에 월급이 많아요.

    The work is hard, but in return the pay is good.

  3. 이번 주에 많이 일한 대신에 다음 주에 쉴 거예요.

    I worked a lot this week, so in return I'm taking next week off.

  4. 제가 저녁을 사는 대신에 커피는 민수 씨가 사세요.

    I'll get dinner if you get the coffee, Minsu.

  5. 숙제를 도와주는 대신에 점심을 사 주세요.

    I'll help with your homework, and in exchange you buy me lunch.

Compare 비싼 반면에 양이 많아요 with 비싼 대신에 양이 많아요. Both are fine, but 반면에 lays out two sides of the place, and 대신에 suggests one pays for the other. Only 대신에 can strike a deal, as in the last two examples.

는 한편: and at the same time

한편 means one side, in the sense of one side of what's going on. A는 한편 B says A is happening, and on another front so is B. They needn't clash at all. You'll mostly read this, in the news and in writing about people's lives.

Using 는 한편

  • After a verb: 는 한편.일하다 → 일하는 한편가르치다 → 가르치는 한편
  • Starting a sentence: 한편, "meanwhile".한편 부산은 따뜻했습니다.

  1. 그는 낮에는 회사에서 일하는 한편 밤에는 대학원에 다닌다.

    He works at a company by day and at the same time goes to graduate school at night.

  2. 정부는 세금을 낮추는 한편 일자리를 늘리기로 했다.

    The government decided to cut taxes while also creating jobs.

  3. 그 배우는 영화를 찍는 한편 대학에서 학생들을 가르친다.

    The actor makes films and alongside that teaches students at a university.

  4. 서울에는 어제 눈이 많이 왔습니다. 한편 부산은 따뜻했습니다.

    Seoul had heavy snow yesterday. Meanwhile, Busan was warm.

The difference from 반면 is whether the two sides oppose each other. In example 4, Busan's weather isn't an argument against Seoul's. It's just the next item, which is why a news report picks 한편. Keep 반면 for real opposites.

Which one?

Ask how A and B relate. If they're opposite sides, use 반면에. If one replaces or pays for the other, use 대신에. If they simply run alongside each other, use 한편.

  1. 오빠는 키가 ___ 저는 작아요.

    My brother is tall, whereas I'm short.

  2. 제가 요리를 ___ 설거지는 민수 씨가 해 주세요.

    I'll cook if you wash up, Minsu.

  3. 그는 회사에 ___ 소설도 쓴다.

    He works at a company, and alongside that he writes novels.

  4. 택시를 ___ 지하철을 탔어요.

    I took the subway instead of a taxi.

Listen and type

1 / 3

Play it as often as you like.

In a conversation

A

이사할 집은 찾았어요?

Will move house found?

B

두 군데 봤어요. 하나는 지하철역이 가까운 반면에 너무 작아요.

Two places saw. One, subway station near, on the reverse side too small.

A

다른 집은요?

Other house?

B

좀 먼 대신에 넓고 월세도 싸요.

A bit far, in exchange spacious and rent also cheap.

A

그럼 넓은 집으로 하세요. 지하철을 타는 대신에 버스를 타면 되잖아요.

Then go with spacious house. Subway taking instead bus take is enough, you know.

Common mistakes

  1. 이 식당은 맛있은 반면에 비싸요.

    이 식당은 맛있는 반면에 비싸요.

    있다 and 없다 take 는, even in words English calls adjectives.

  2. 형은 의사는 반면에 동생은 학생이에요.

    형은 의사인 반면에 동생은 학생이에요.

    Nouns need 이다, so the modifier is 인.

  3. 버스를 탄 대신에 걸어갔어요.

    버스를 타는 대신에 걸어갔어요.

    탄 대신에 says you did take the bus. For something that didn't happen, use 는.

Check yourself

Quick check

1 / 6

이 집은 월세가 ___ 학교에서 멀어요. (싸다, use 는 반면에) The rent is low, but it's far from school.

싸다 is an adjective.

Summary

는 반면에 (verbs) forms
DictionaryStem는 반면에 (verbs)
잘하다잘하잘하는 반면에
살다살사는 반면에
듣다듣듣는 반면에
있다있있는 반면에
ㄴ/은 대신에 (adjectives) forms
DictionaryStemㄴ/은 대신에 (adjectives)
싸다싸싼 대신에
좋다좋좋은 대신에
힘들다힘들힘든 대신에
어렵다어렵어려운 대신에

How A and B relate

  • 는 반면에: A and B are opposite sides of the same thing.
  • 는 대신에: B takes A's place, or B pays for A.
  • 는 한편: A and B run alongside each other. As 한편 at the start of a sentence, it means "meanwhile".

Now you can say

  1. 서울은 일자리가 많은 반면에 집값이 비싸요.

    Seoul has plenty of jobs, but on the other hand housing is expensive.

  2. 일이 힘든 대신에 월급이 많아요.

    The work is hard, but in return the pay is good.

  3. 숙제를 도와주는 대신에 점심을 사 주세요.

    I'll help with your homework, and in exchange you buy me lunch.

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