<p>The "一方面。。。另一方面。。。" Structure can be used in the following ways:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><strong>1."On one hand...on the other hand (is also)...</strong>" (<em>where the two adjectives are conflicting with each other.</em>)</p>
  
  <p>For example: 一方面貪心，另一方面(又)正派 </p>
  
  <p>On one hand he is greedy, on the other hand, he is (also) honest.
      (would he pick up the suspicious bag that has a dollar sign on it?)</p>
  
  <p>*(又) can be omitted</p>
</blockquote>

<p>~</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>2."<strong>On one hand...  On the other hand (is also)...</strong>" (<em>where the two adjectives are reinforcing each other.</em>)</p>
  
  <p>For example: 一方面貪心，另一方面(又)愚蠢 </p>
  
  <p>On one hand he is greedy, on the other hand, he is also foolish,
      (that's why he picked up the suspicious bag that has a dollar sign on it.)</p>
  
  <p>*(又) can be omitted</p>
</blockquote>

<p>So your teacher said you can only put two positive or two negative adjectives in this construction is partly right, it applies only when the two adjectives are reinforcing each other.</p>

<p>*Unrelated to your question about "two positive or two negative adjectives in this construction." The "一方面。。。另一方面。。。" structure can also be used in the following way:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>"<strong>From one side...and from another side...</strong>" (<em>when two events/elements are happening at the same time.</em>)</p>
  
  <p>For example: 一方面受外敵攻打，另一方面受內亂困擾</p>
  
  <p>On one side, being attack by outside enemy, on other side suffering  from internal upraising</p>
</blockquote>

<p>As for your example sentence <em>我哥哥一方面有名，另一方面不帅。</em> "有名" and "不帅" are in conflict with each other when it come to attracting ladies, the sentence is understandable, but it does not fit well into a straight "一方面。。。另一方面。。。" Structure, It only work if antonymous conjunction (like: 但/但是、而、不過、可是) are added, like Farnz Seager suggested or rephrase it to 我哥哥虽然不帅，但很有名 as Gangosa suggested would be better.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-23T09:58:13.077Z
the two meanings confirmed by web sources e.g. http://clplanguage.wikidot.com/wiki:yifangmian-lingyifangmian  [有两个意思，一个是表达事情的许多面向，做出分析，另一个用法是强调对比。]
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-23T09:14:15.730Z
2016-11-23T09:36:55.483Z
2016-11-23T09:36:55.483Z
Tang Ho
<p>Please go to this link:
<a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_various_aspects_with_%22yi_fangmian%22" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_various_aspects_with_%22yi_fangmian%22</a></p>

<p>Thank you.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-22T23:44:34.163Z
2016-11-22T23:44:34.163Z
johnseah
<p>The following sentence expresses admiration for and doubt of someone, which I think are respectively positive and negative.</p>

<p>一方面我羡慕他的才华, 而另一方面我却怀疑他的判断力.<br>
On the one hand I admire his talent, but on the other hand I doubt his judgement.</p>

<p>"admire" and "doubt" are the contrasting items.</p>

<p>Your sentence is not good, because 一方面。。。另一方面 should contain  opposites or contrasting thing.</p>

<p>Your sentence might be expressed like this:</p>

<p>我哥哥虽然不帅，但很有名。</p>

<p>Edit: Here are 2 sentences, neither of which contain, to my mind, opposites or contrasting things, both of which use 一方面。。。另一方面</p>

<p>驱动他们的一方面是对民主的期待，另一方面是对民族自立的渴望。<br>
They are driven on partly by a wish for democracy, but also by a desire for national self-assertion.</p>

<p>'democracy' and 'independence' are not mutually exclusive or contrasting things for a nation state I believe.</p>

<p>英国各家媒体一方面就牛津大学的录取规程进行争论,另一方面也在广泛意义上就精英主义展开了激烈辩论.</p>

<p>The British media have created a fierce controversy over Oxford's admission procedures (my note: which are elitist) and elitism in general.</p>

<p>'elitist admission procedures' and 'elitism' are not contrasting opposites.</p>

<p>Tang Ho, I hope you do not think 'talent' and 'judgement' are adjectives??</p>

<p>I repeat: Although, talent and judgement are not adjectives. (OP specifically mentioned 'adjectives' in his post.)</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-23T04:02:02.820Z
*一方面我羡慕他的才华, 而另一方面我却怀疑他的判断力* the contrasting items are 羡慕 and 怀疑, not 才华 and 判断力- "**一方面羡慕, 另一方面怀疑**"
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-23T00:00:24.977Z
2016-11-23T06:59:27.413Z
2016-11-23T06:59:27.413Z
Gangosa
<p>A Chinese teacher once told me that you can only put two positive or two negative adjectives in this construction. Is this correct? So I couldn't say for example:</p>

<p>我哥哥一方面有名，另一方面不帅。</p>

<p>Many thanks!
G</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-22T23:59:56.673Z
When mentioning positive and negative aspects side by side, why not use just 但另一方面 for the second e.g. 他很聪明，但另一方面，他也犯了许多错误, as seems common practice in C. 我哥哥有名，但另一方面他不帅
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-26T21:30:35.673Z
一方面……一方面 also exists,e.g.(rfa)news: 中国当局一方面要求维吾尔把自己看作是中国人，一方面又做出这种剥夺他们公民权利的决定。Explanation: http://www.eastling.org/discuz/showtopic-22174.aspx
user6065
<grammar><meaning><usage><expressions>
一方面...另一方面 Can you use it with a positive and negative idea?
# 一方面...另一方面 Can you use it with a positive and negative idea?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-11-22)

A Chinese teacher once told me that you can only put two positive or two negative adjectives in this construction. Is this correct? So I couldn't say for example:

我哥哥一方面有名，另一方面不帅。

Many thanks!
G

**Tags:** grammar, meaning, usage, expressions

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: When mentioning positive and negative aspects side by side, why not use just 但另一方面 for the second e.g. 他很聪明，但另一方面，他也犯了许多错误, as seems common practice in C. 我哥哥有名，但另一方面他不帅  
> **username_1**: 一方面……一方面 also exists,e.g.(rfa)news: 中国当局一方面要求维吾尔把自己看作是中国人，一方面又做出这种剥夺他们公民权利的决定。Explanation: http://www.eastling.org/discuz/showtopic-22174.aspx  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2016-11-23. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

The "一方面。。。另一方面。。。" Structure can be used in the following ways:

> **1."On one hand...on the other hand (is also)...**" (*where the two adjectives are conflicting with each other.*)
>
> For example: 一方面貪心，另一方面(又)正派
>
> On one hand he is greedy, on the other hand, he is (also) honest.
> (would he pick up the suspicious bag that has a dollar sign on it?)
>
> \*(又) can be omitted

~

> 2."**On one hand... On the other hand (is also)...**" (*where the two adjectives are reinforcing each other.*)
>
> For example: 一方面貪心，另一方面(又)愚蠢
>
> On one hand he is greedy, on the other hand, he is also foolish,
> (that's why he picked up the suspicious bag that has a dollar sign on it.)
>
> \*(又) can be omitted

So your teacher said you can only put two positive or two negative adjectives in this construction is partly right, it applies only when the two adjectives are reinforcing each other.

\*Unrelated to your question about "two positive or two negative adjectives in this construction." The "一方面。。。另一方面。。。" structure can also be used in the following way:

> "**From one side...and from another side...**" (*when two events/elements are happening at the same time.*)
>
> For example: 一方面受外敵攻打，另一方面受內亂困擾
>
> On one side, being attack by outside enemy, on other side suffering from internal upraising

As for your example sentence *我哥哥一方面有名，另一方面不帅。* "有名" and "不帅" are in conflict with each other when it come to attracting ladies, the sentence is understandable, but it does not fit well into a straight "一方面。。。另一方面。。。" Structure, It only work if antonymous conjunction (like: 但/但是、而、不過、可是) are added, like Farnz Seager suggested or rephrase it to 我哥哥虽然不帅，但很有名 as username_4 suggested would be better.

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: the two meanings confirmed by web sources e.g. http://clplanguage.wikidot.com/wiki:yifangmian-lingyifangmian  [有两个意思，一个是表达事情的许多面向，做出分析，另一个用法是强调对比。]  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2016-11-22. Score: 1

Please go to this link:
<https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_various_aspects_with_%22yi_fangmian%22>

Thank you.


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2016-11-23. Score: 0

The following sentence expresses admiration for and doubt of someone, which I think are respectively positive and negative.

一方面我羡慕他的才华, 而另一方面我却怀疑他的判断力.  
On the one hand I admire his talent, but on the other hand I doubt his judgement.

"admire" and "doubt" are the contrasting items.

Your sentence is not good, because 一方面。。。另一方面 should contain opposites or contrasting thing.

Your sentence might be expressed like this:

我哥哥虽然不帅，但很有名。

Edit: Here are 2 sentences, neither of which contain, to my mind, opposites or contrasting things, both of which use 一方面。。。另一方面

驱动他们的一方面是对民主的期待，另一方面是对民族自立的渴望。  
They are driven on partly by a wish for democracy, but also by a desire for national self-assertion.

'democracy' and 'independence' are not mutually exclusive or contrasting things for a nation state I believe.

英国各家媒体一方面就牛津大学的录取规程进行争论,另一方面也在广泛意义上就精英主义展开了激烈辩论.

The British media have created a fierce controversy over Oxford's admission procedures (my note: which are elitist) and elitism in general.

'elitist admission procedures' and 'elitism' are not contrasting opposites.

username_2 Ho, I hope you do not think 'talent' and 'judgement' are adjectives??

I repeat: Although, talent and judgement are not adjectives. (OP specifically mentioned 'adjectives' in his post.)

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: *一方面我羡慕他的才华, 而另一方面我却怀疑他的判断力* the contrasting items are 羡慕 and 怀疑, not 才华 and 判断力- "**一方面羡慕, 另一方面怀疑**"  

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