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両端 (りょうたん) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

両りょう端たん

also: りょうはし · りょうはじ

りょ

う

た

ん

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

1

noun

both ends; either end; both edges

Used for the two ends or edges of a line-like, long, flat, or bounded object. In context it may refer to things located at each of the two ends.

ロープの両りょう端たんをしっかり結むすんだ。
I tied both ends of the rope tightly.
橋はしの両りょう端たんに警けい備び員いんが立たっている。
Security guards are standing at both ends of the bridge.

2

noun

double-mindedness; sitting on the fence

Only with reading りょうたん

Rare abstract use, especially in the fixed literary expression 両端を持する, meaning to avoid taking a clear side. This sense is restricted to the reading りょうたん.

「両りょう端たんを持じする」は、どちらにもはっきり味み方かたしない態たい度どをいう。
両端を持する refers to an attitude of not clearly siding with either side.

Written forms

両端Usage98%
- りょうたん
  Standard and common spelling and reading for “both ends” and the rare abstract sense.
- りょうはし
  Attested alternate reading for the physical sense, but much less common than りょうたん.
- りょうはじ
  Attested alternate reading for the physical sense; included mainly for lookup.
両りょうはしUsage1%
search-only kanji form
Mixed kanji-kana spelling marked search-only; normally write 両端.
りょうはじUsage<1%
りょうはし

Kanji

両both, old Japanese coin, counter for carriages (e.g., in a train)
端edge, origin, end

Similar words

端はし
Means one end, edge, or tip; 両端 specifically refers to both of the two ends or edges.
両りょう側がわ
Means both sides, often the left and right sides of something; 両端 focuses on the two ends rather than the sides.
末まっ端たん
Means an extremity, terminal point, or lower end of an organization; it does not normally mean the two ends together.

Etymology

A Sino-Japanese compound: 両 means “both” and 端 means “end” or “edge.” The rare abstract sense appears to be an extension from the idea of holding or relating to both extremes.