がわ/そば difference and use


I've been following the Genki textbook up until now and I learnt to use そば to
talk about things that are near something else. I recently bought a JLPT N5
textbook, as it's my intention to try and take it someday, and found the word
がわ. Looking it up, I found it listed as ~side. Could somebody provide some
examples and explain the difference, if any, between them?




I think そば is used for saying something is near something, whereas 〜側【がわ】 is
usually used in collocations like 右側【みぎ・がわ】 and 左側【ひだり・がわ】, meaning right-side
and left side respectively.

An example of each would be...

郵便局【ゆう・びん・きょく】は美術館【び・じゅつ・かん】のそばにあります。 The post office is near the art museum.

郵便局【ゆう・びん・きょく】は美術館【び・じゅつ・かん】の左側にあります。 The post office is on the left side of
the art museum.




I think そば is used for saying something is near something, whereas 〜側【がわ】 is
usually used in collocations like 右側【みぎ・がわ】 and 左側【ひだり・がわ】, meaning right-side
and left side respectively.

An example of each would be...

郵便局【ゆう・びん・きょく】は美術館【び・じゅつ・かん】のそばにあります。 The post office is near the art museum.

郵便局【ゆう・びん・きょく】は美術館【び・じゅつ・かん】の左側にあります。 The post office is on the left side of
the art museum.

