天秤にかける · ichidan verb
| Form | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | 天秤にかける | 天秤にかけない |
| Polite | 天秤にかけます | 天秤にかけません |
| Past polite | 天秤にかけました | 天秤にかけませんでした |
| Past | 天秤にかけた | 天秤にかけなかった |
| Te-form | 天秤にかけて | 天秤にかけないで |
| Desire | 天秤にかけたい | 天秤にかけたくない |
| Potential | 天秤にかけられるalso 天秤にかけれる | 天秤にかけられないalso 天秤にかけれない |
| Passive | 天秤にかけられる | 天秤にかけられない |
| Causative | 天秤にかけさせる | 天秤にかけさせない |
| Causative passive | 天秤にかけさせられる | 天秤にかけさせられない |
| Volitional | 天秤にかけよう | |
| Polite volitional | 天秤にかけましょう | |
| Imperative | 天秤にかけろ | 天秤にかけるな |
| Conditional | 天秤にかければ | 天秤にかけなければ |
| Tara conditional | 天秤にかけたら | 天秤にかけなかったら |
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.
I weighed going on to higher education against getting a job, and in the end decided to go to university.
Choose investments by weighing risk against return.
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.
He's trying to have it both ways with two companies, aiming to get a job offer from both.
An attitude like that, trying to play both sides, isn't good.