両立します（りょうりつします、ryouritsushimasu）
- to balance

The Japanese word 両立します, pronounced りょうりつします, means "to balance" or "to reconcile" two or more things that might seem incompatible or difficult to manage together. It implies successfully managing two or more different aspects of life, responsibilities, or situations simultaneously. It suggests that these different elements are coexisting harmoniously or are being effectively managed together. The word often carries a connotation of effort and skill, as it acknowledges the challenges inherent in juggling multiple commitments or requirements. 両立します implies achieving a state of equilibrium where different elements coexist without one completely overshadowing the others. The core idea is about creating a situation where different things can exist and thrive together.

⚫︎仕事と育児を両立します。 Translation: I balance work and childcare. ⚫︎趣味と学業を両立しますのは大変ですが、やりがいがあります。 Translation: It's difficult to balance hobbies and studies, but it's rewarding. ⚫︎彼は、プロの選手として活躍しながら、大学院にも通い、見事に両立します。 Translation: He excels as a professional athlete while also attending graduate school, and he successfully balances them.

You use 両立します when talking about successfully managing or balancing multiple aspects of life, such as work and family, studies and hobbies, or different responsibilities. It's often used when discussing the challenges and successes of managing conflicting demands. You can use it in various contexts, from personal conversations to formal discussions. This word is appropriate when someone makes a deliberate effort to manage multiple conflicting things at once.

⚫︎The word is typically written in kanji and hiragana: 両立します ⚫︎The kanji 両 means "both," "two," or "pair." ⚫︎The kanji 立 means "stand," "establish," or "set up." ⚫︎The verb します is the polite form of "to do" and is attached to the stem of a suru-verb. ⚫︎The okurigana (the hiragana after the kanji) is consistent: 両立します.

⚫︎バランスをとる (baransu o toru): To balance ⚫︎並立する (へいりつする - heiretsu suru): To exist simultaneously ⚫︎共存する (きょうぞんする - kyouzon suru): To coexist ⚫︎兼ねる (かねる - kaneru): To serve two or more functions at once

⚫︎There is no single direct antonym. However, words or phrases that suggest incompatibility or difficulty in managing the combined elements can be considered opposite in meaning. These include expressions of failure or difficulty, such as: ⚫︎両立できません (ryouritsu dekimasen): Cannot balance ⚫︎〜に失敗する (~ni shippai suru): To fail at ~ ⚫︎〜できない (~dekinai): Cannot do ~

仕事と家事の両立しますのは大変ですが、工夫次第で可能です。 ・Translation: Balancing work and housework is hard, but it's possible with some effort. ・Explanation: This sentence highlights the challenge of balancing work and housework, but also implies that it's achievable through careful planning and effort.

学業とアルバイトを両立しますことで、貴重な経験を積むことができました。 ・Translation: By balancing studies and a part-time job, I was able to gain valuable experience. ・Explanation: This sentence describes how someone benefited from successfully managing two aspects of their life simultaneously. It emphasizes the positive outcomes of this balancing act.

The word 両立 is a combination of two kanji. 両 means "both" or "two", and 立 implies "to stand" or "to establish." Together, they suggest the idea of two things "standing together" or existing side-by-side. The addition of the polite verb します makes it "to do" 両立, which becomes "to balance" or "to reconcile."