重量
じゅうりょう
juuryou
= weight; mass (as a physical measurement)
When Japanese speakers talk about how heavy something is, they reach for different words depending on context. Juuryou (重量) refers specifically to physical, measurable weight — the kind you read off a scale in a warehouse, check on a luggage tag, or log after a deadlift. It sits in a precise corner of Japanese that words like omosa (重さ) and taijuu (体重) do not occupy.
重量 (juuryou) denotes weight or mass as an objective, measurable quantity. It appears in technical, commercial, and physical contexts where precision matters: cargo weight, weightlifting classifications, or physics problems. Compare the three common “weight” words: taijuu (体重) is used exclusively for a person’s or animal’s body weight; omosa (重さ) is the everyday, informal way to describe how heavy any object feels; and juuryou (重量) is the formal or technical measurement, often accompanied by a unit such as kilograms. In formal writing and official documents, juuryou is the default choice when stating a precise figure.
The most common error for learners is substituting omosa for juuryou in official or technical contexts — for example, on a shipping form or a gym record sheet. Use juuryou whenever a precise figure in kilograms (or another unit) is stated or implied. Also note the compound 重量オーバー (juuryou oobaа), which is the fixed phrase for “overweight” on airline baggage checks — you will almost never hear omosa oobaа in that setting. In weightlifting (重量挙げ, juuryou age), the sport itself takes its name from this word, so any fitness context involving lifting records uses juuryou naturally.
The word is built from two kanji: 重 (juu), meaning “heavy” or “layered,” and 量 (ryou), meaning “quantity” or “measured amount.” Together they convey the idea of a quantified heaviness — not just the sensation of weight, but weight as a number. 重 also appears in 重力 (juuryoku, gravity) and 重要 (juuyou, important), while 量 appears in 分量 (bunryou, portion) and 音量 (onryou, volume of sound).
Everyday use
この荷物の重量を量ってから送ってください。
Kono nimotsu no juuryou wo hakatte kara okutte kudasai.
Please weigh this package before sending it.
Casual / Social Media
今日のデッドリフトは自己ベスト更新！重量120kgを達成しました💪
Kyou no deddorifuto wa jiko besuto koushin! Juuryou hyaku-nijuu kiro wo tassei shimashita.
New personal record on deadlifts today! Hit 120 kg! 💪
Formal / Cultural context
お預けの手荷物は重量が23キログラムを超えた場合、超過料金が発生いたします。
Oazuke no tenimotsu wa juuryou ga nijuusan kiroguramu wo koeta baai, choukakin ga hassei itashimasu.
If your checked baggage exceeds 23 kilograms in weight, an excess baggage fee will apply.
In sumo wrestling, a wrestler’s weight is officially recorded as taijuu for their body weight, but broadcasters and journalists frequently switch to juuryou when framing it as a physical asset — describing a 200 kg yokozuna’s juuryou emphasises the raw force he brings to the ring rather than simply stating a biological fact. This subtle word choice signals whether the speaker is treating weight as a physiological attribute or as a competitive weapon.
Japan’s domestic and international airlines publish baggage allowances using the 重量制 (juuryou sei) system, where each bag is limited to a specific kilogram figure, as opposed to the piece-based system used by some carriers. Phrases like 重量オーバー appear on self-check-in screens at major airports, making this one of the most visible encounters travellers have with the word. The precision implied by juuryou is exactly why it is chosen over the softer omosa in these official notices.
In science education, juuryou is the standard term when discussing weight as a force (measured in newtons) or mass (measured in kilograms) in the SI unit system. Japanese physics textbooks distinguish between 質量 (shitsuryou, mass) and 重量 (juuryou, weight as gravitational force), a distinction that trips up students who use the two interchangeably in daily speech. This technical precision makes juuryou a key term for anyone studying natural sciences or engineering in Japanese.