两边
liǎng bian · HSK 4
both sides
⬅️➡️ 两 = two + 边 = side: two sides, i.e. both sides
两 means 'two' and 边 means 'side' or 'edge', so 两边 literally reads as 'two sides' — used for 'either side' or 'both sides' of something.
两 — two halves under 一, mirrored 入 components inside 冂
两 originally depicted a balance scale or a pair of matched objects, symbolizing duality and equality. The two inner components represent the two equal sides being weighed or paired. Over time it came to mean 'two' (especially for paired things) and also a traditional unit of weight (tael).
边 — 辶 (walk) + 臱 (phonetic)
边 is the simplified form of 邊. It combines the walking radical 辶 with the phonetic component 臱, suggesting a place reached by walking — the edge or border of a territory. The meaning extended from 'frontier' to 'side' or 'edge' in general.