凡事都有两面
Reach for this when you've made a positive case and want to pivot to the downside without losing your audience — 'every coin has two sides.' 凡事都有两面 is a stock transition in essays, opinion pieces, and analytical podcasts. It signals 'I've shown you the bright side, now let me be honest about the shadow.' The phrase itself is a four-character framework — 凡事 (everything), 都 (all), 有 (has), 两面 (two sides) — and gets re-used in nearly identical form across registers.
Structure
..., 凡事都有两面, [DOWNSIDE CLAUSE]
..., fánshì dōu yǒu liǎng miàn, ...
How to Think About It
This is a discourse marker, not a sentence pattern. It signals a rhetorical pivot: everything you've said up to this point was one side; what follows is the other. Native writers use it to sound balanced — once you say 凡事都有两面, the reader expects a counter-argument or caveat next. If you say it and then DON'T present the other side, the sentence feels broken.
Examples
凡事都有两面, 这个方法也有缺点。
Fánshì dōu yǒu liǎng miàn, zhège fāngfǎ yě yǒu quēdiǎn.
Every coin has two sides — this method has its downsides too.
当然, 凡事都有两面, 短视频也在带来一些新问题。
Dāngrán, fánshì dōu yǒu liǎng miàn, duǎn shìpín yě zài dàilái yìxiē xīn wèntí.
Of course, every coin has two sides — short video is also creating new problems.
凡事都有两面, AI 让生活方便, 也让一些人失去工作。
Fánshì dōu yǒu liǎng miàn, AI ràng shēnghuó fāngbiàn, yě ràng yìxiē rén shīqù gōngzuò.
Every coin has two sides — AI makes life easier and also costs some people their jobs.
Common Mistake
Learners use it as a standalone wise-saying without delivering the second side. The phrase only works if you actually pivot — say it, then immediately give the counter-point. Dropping it as a one-liner sounds like a half-finished proverb.
拼豆很火。凡事都有两面。
拼豆很火。当然, 凡事都有两面, 它也开始受到一些质疑。
Don't Confuse With
话说回来
'That said / coming back to it' — another pivot marker, more conversational. 凡事都有两面 frames the pivot as a universal truth; 话说回来 just signals 'wait, let me circle back.'
不过 / 但是
Plain 'but / however.' Use these for any contrast. 凡事都有两面 is a heavier, more philosophical pivot — save it for when you want to invoke balance, not just contradict.
有利有弊
'Has pros and cons' — similar idea, often used to describe a single thing's mixed nature. 凡事都有两面 is more sweeping; 有利有弊 is more analytical.
Practice
___事都有两面, 这个产品也有缺点。
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凡
凡事都有___面, 我们要看清楚。
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两
Put in order: [凡事 / 这件事 / 也不例外 / 两面 / 都有]
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凡事都有两面, 这件事也不例外。
Translate to Chinese: 'Every coin has two sides — social media has its downsides too.'
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凡事都有两面, 社交媒体也有不好的地方。
Pick a trend you have an opinion on, then use 凡事都有两面 to pivot to its downside.
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Example: 远程办公很方便, 但凡事都有两面, 它也让人感到孤单。 (Remote work is convenient, but every coin has two sides — it also makes people feel lonely.)
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode: