When deciding between city life and the countryside, you often have to weigh the pros and cons. In Icelandic, the most natural way to express "on the one hand... on the other hand" is with the correlative phrase annars vegar... hins vegar.
The Basic Structure
To balance two contrasting points, start your first statement with annars vegar, and your second statement with hins vegar.
Because these phrases take up the first position in their respective clauses, remember your Verb-Second (V2) rule! The verb must immediately follow the phrase.
| On the one hand the apartment block is cheap, on the other hand the noise is loud. | Annars vegar er fjölbýlishúsið ódýrt, hins vegar er hávaðinn mikill. |
| On the one hand we love the comforts here, on the other hand there is a lot of bustle. | Annars vegar elskum við þægindin hér, hins vegar er mikill skarkali. |
Shifting "hins vegar"
While hins vegar often starts the second clause, you can also use it to introduce a contrast later in a sentence, much like "however" in English. In this case, you can drop annars vegar entirely and pair hins vegar with a conjunction like en (but).
Notice how it tucks neatly into the middle of the second clause, after the subject and verb:
| I want the detached house, but the property price there is on the other hand too high. | Ég vil einbýlishúsið, en fasteignaverðið þar er hins vegar of hátt. |
Weighing Lifestyle Choices
This structure is incredibly useful for discussing what matters most to you in a home, like comparing the tranquility of a secluded spot to having close proximity to the city.
| On the one hand we love the tranquility, on the other hand we lack proximity to work. | Annars vegar elskum við kyrrðina, hins vegar vantar okkur nálægð við vinnuna. |
| On the one hand they want a large plot, on the other hand they want proximity to the city. | Annars vegar vilja þau stóra lóð, hins vegar vilja þau nálægð við borgina. |