両立

りょうりつ · ryouritsu · JLPT N1 · noun

coexistence

⚖️ 両 = both, 立 = stand: two things standing side by side, so they can coexist

両 means 'both' and 立 means 'stand'. Compatibility is two things able to stand together at once, like two items balanced on a scale.

立 — person standing on ground (大 over 一)
Pictograph of a person standing with arms outstretched on the ground line below. The original oracle bone form clearly shows a frontal human figure planted on the earth. The core meaning 'to stand' extended to 'establish, set up, erect.'

More Japanese words · How Japanese works