釣り合い（つりあい、tsuriai）
- balance

The Japanese word 釣り合い (つりあい) generally refers to a state of balance, harmony, or proportion. It can describe a variety of situations, from physical balance to the balance of relationships or the appropriateness of something. It implies that different elements are in a suitable or desirable state relative to each other. 釣り合い encompasses the idea of things being matched, compatible, or well-suited.

⚫︎二人の関係の釣り合いが取れていない。 Translation: The relationship between the two of them is not balanced. ⚫︎この服は値段と品質の釣り合いがいい。 Translation: This clothes have a good balance between price and quality. ⚫︎デザインと機能の釣り合いを考えて作られた。 Translation: It was made considering the balance between design and function.

釣り合い can be used in various contexts to talk about: ⚫︎ Physical balance: like the balance of a seesaw or a balanced meal. ⚫︎ Proportionality: such as the 釣り合い of colors in a painting or the size of objects in relation to each other. ⚫︎ Appropriateness or Suitability: like judging whether something is suitable for a particular situation, or the level of fairness. ⚫︎ Relationships: such as the balance of power or effort in a relationship. You can use it to describe an existing state or to express a desire for things to be in 釣り合い.

The word is most commonly written as 釣り合い. ⚫︎ Kanji: 釣り合い ⚫︎ Hiragana: つりあい There are no other common ways to write this word. The okurigana (送りがな - the hiragana attached to the kanji) is always “あい”.

Some synonyms for 釣り合い include: ⚫︎ バランス (baransu) - balance ⚫︎ 平衡 (へいこう - heikou) - equilibrium, balance ⚫︎ 調和 (ちょうわ - chouwa) - harmony ⚫︎ つりあい - balance (same word) ⚫︎ 均衡 (きんこう - kinkou) - balance, equilibrium ⚫︎ 適合 (てきごう - tekigou) - suitability, compatibility

Some antonyms for 釣り合い include: ⚫︎ 不均衡 (ふきんこう - fukinkou) - imbalance ⚫︎ アンバランス (anbaransu) - imbalance ⚫︎ 不釣り合い (ふつりあい - futsuriai) - disproportion, unsuitability (A word closely related to 釣り合い but meaning the opposite. It specifically means lack of balance or being ill-matched.)

この二つの要素の間に釣り合いが取れていない。 ・Translation: There is no balance between these two elements. ・Explanation: This sentence describes a lack of 釣り合い between two things, highlighting an imbalance.

彼女は自分の服装の釣り合いをいつも気にしている。 ・Translation: She always cares about the balance of her outfits. ・Explanation: This sentence illustrates how 釣り合い applies to personal style and appearance, demonstrating an awareness of matching and proportion.

The word 釣り合い is derived from the verb 釣り合う (つりあう), which means "to be balanced," "to be in proportion," or "to match". The kanji 釣 means "to fish" but in this context, it contributes to the meaning of "hanging" or "suspension," and the "合い" part means "to fit together", "to match", or "to combine". So the word literally refers to the state of something being suspended and balanced.