天てん秤びんにかける

expression, ichidan verb

weigh one thing against another; compare the merits of two options

Figurative use: mentally weighing or comparing two choices, often to decide which is better. The literal sense of physically weighing something on scales is rare in modern Japanese.

• 進しん学がくと就しゅう職しょくを天てん秤びんにかけて、結けっ局きょく大だい学がくに行いくことにした。

  I weighed going on to higher education against getting a job, and in the end decided to go to university.

• リスクとリターンを天てん秤びんにかけて投とう資し先さきを選えらぶ。

  Choose investments by weighing risk against return.

expression, ichidan verb

try to have it both ways; play a double game

Idiomatic: trying to keep two conflicting options open at once, often with a negative connotation of opportunism or hedging bets.

• 彼かれは二ふたつの会かい社しゃを天てん秤びんにかけて、どちらからも内ない定ていをもらおうとしている。

  He's trying to have it both ways with two companies, aiming to get a job offer from both.

• そんなふうに天てん秤びんにかけるような態たい度どはよくない。

  An attitude like that, trying to play both sides, isn't good.