beside
- 01 A2 Elementary
prep.at the side of something or someone; very close to.
prep.at the side of; in close physical proximity to a person or object.
Simple“She sat beside her friend during the long bus ride so they could talk.”
In context“The small cottage stood beside a winding river, its stone walls weathered by decades of damp winter air.”
UsageAlways followed by a noun or pronoun as its object.
Teacher's tipLearners frequently confuse 'beside' and 'besides'. Remind them that 'beside' is for location, while 'besides' is for extra information.
PitfallI have many hobbies beside reading. I have many hobbies besides reading.Use 'beside' for physical position (next to). Use 'besides' with an 's' to mean 'in addition to' or 'also'.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
prep.not important or not related to the subject you are talking about.
prep.irrelevant to the matter under consideration; typically used in the phrase 'beside the point'.
Simple“Whether you like the color or not is beside the point; we need a car that works.”
In context“The witness's personal opinion of the defendant was deemed beside the point by the judge, who requested only factual testimony.”
UsageAlmost exclusively used in the fixed idiom 'beside the point'.
Teacher's tipTeach this as a fixed chunk. It is a polite but firm way to tell someone they are focusing on the wrong detail.
Synonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
prep.compared with something else to show a difference.
prep.in comparison with; used to contrast two things by placing them notionally side-by-side.
Simple“My old phone looks like a toy beside your new one.”
In context“The local team's achievements seemed modest beside the international success of their rivals.”
Teacher's tipThis is a more sophisticated, slightly formal way to make a comparison.
Synonymscompared toagainst - 04 C2 Proficiency
adv.also, or in addition to what has already been said.
adv.in addition; otherwise; else. Used as a sentence connector or terminal adverb.
Simple“The house is too expensive, and beside, it is too far from the city.”
In context“The evidence was circumstantial at best; beside, the statute of limitations had already expired.”
UsageUsually placed at the start of a clause or after a semicolon.
Teacher's tipIn modern English, 'besides' is almost always preferred for this meaning. This form is mostly found in older literature.
Synonyms
beside vs besides — Beside indicates physical proximity, while besides introduces an additional point or item.
“Nearly 800,000 years ago, early humans living beside a lake in what is now Israel may have chosen the location for one surprisingly practical reason: firewood.”
“The site lies only about six meters (20 feet) deep and is located beside an area that served as a jetty.”
From Middle English beside, besiden, bisyde (also besides > besides), from Old English be sīdan, bī sīdan (“by the side (of), on the side (of)”). Compare Saterland Frisian biesiede (“aside”), German Low German bisied (“aside”), German beiseite (“aside, to one side”). Compare also Dutch terzijde (“aside”). By surface analysis, be- + side.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.