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Glite Dictionary
on the other side

on the other side

95 3.6
To show an opposite idea in a discussion
  • idiom
translation icon : por otro lado
  • Some people may agree with the proposal, but on the other side, others strongly oppose it.

What I realized when I was on the other side, it doesn't quite work that way.

Examples

  • Minimalism is about what happens on the other side of those things.

  • On the other side, you had the United States.

    Don't Think I've Forgotten: Cambodia's Lost Rock and Roll (2014)

  • And God placed the best things in life on the other side of fear.

  • And then what do we have on the other side as we go into it?

  • Sometimes she would come down the road on the other side and talk to me.

    Academic text (1991)

  • We still need to find a place to stay on the other side.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • Well, I'll see you on the other side.

    The Dukes of Hazzard (2005)

  • There's a peace that's only to be found on the other side of war.

    First Knight (1995)

  • I've been curious as to what's on the other side of that ridge.

    The Angry Red Planet (1959)

  • Kinko's was an all-night copy place on the other side of Harvard Square.

    Fiction book (1995)

Synonyms

on the other hand
vson the other side
357 2.8

Shows a different idea from what you said before

is a general phrase for opposing points in discussion
on the contrary
vson the other side
68 3.2

To say the opposite to correct a wrong idea

introduces contrast but without necessarily correcting a mistake
conversely
vson the other side
  • Formal
42 4.6

To introduce a statement that shows the opposite of what was just said

presents contrast without implying a full reversal
au contraire
vson the other side
3 8.9

To say that something is the opposite of what was just said

is the plain English option used for straightforward contrast
on the other paw
vson the other side
  • Informal
9.8

To show a different point in a playful animal way

is neutral and used in ordinary discussion without humor
contra
vson the other side
  • Formal
7.4

A word showing disagreement with something, often in formal writing

is the common spoken phrase used in everyday discussion

Surface Forms

on the other side positive

Morphology

on + the + other + side

The meaning 'to introduce a contrasting point' is directly and compositionally built from 'on' (indicating relation), 'other' (alternative), and 'side' (an aspect or viewpoint), so a B1 learner who knows the constituents can infer the figurative sense. Although 'on the other hand' is the more frequent idiom, the logic of an alternative 'side' is cross-linguistically common and therefore immediately comprehensible.

Etymology

On the other side comes from the simple image of standing on one side of a street or room and looking to the other side, where things often look different. So when people say On the other side, they mean an 'opposite' or different point of view used to show a different idea.