Question 1

Is it mandatory to include lado in the second half of the phrase por um lado... por outro lado?

Accepted Answer

No, you can easily drop the second lado and just say por outro. Both por outro lado and por outro are extremely common and mean exactly the same thing. However, you cannot drop the word lado from the first half (por um lado).

Question 2

I learned that procurar means 'to look for'. Why does it translate to 'seeks to' here?

Accepted Answer

When procurar is followed by a noun, it usually means 'to look for' (like procurar as chaves, to look for the keys). But when followed directly by a verb in the infinitive, like lucrar, it changes meaning to 'to try to' or 'to seek to' do something.

Question 3

Can prático also mean 'practical' in the sense of a pragmatic person?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Prático is a great, versatile word. For things or systems, like the algorithm here, it means useful, convenient, or easy to use. For people, it means down-to-earth, logical, or hands-on.

Question 4

Could we use a conjunction like mas (but) to connect these two sides instead of a semicolon?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you could say por um lado, o algoritmo é prático, mas por outro lado.... However, the paired markers por um lado... por outro lado already imply a contrast by themselves, so a semicolon elegantly balances the two independent ideas without needing to add extra conjunctions.

Por um lado, o algoritmo é prático; por outro lado, a empresa procura lucrar.

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