量
ryō[ɾʲo̞ː]
The English word "amount" is translated into Japanese as 量 (ryō).
量 is a noun used to refer to quantity or volume. It is typically applied to continuous quantities such as volume, weight or the amount of work performed. If you need to express the action of totaling or evaluating an amount, you can use the verb 合計する.
Meaning: quantity or volume (noun)
Which one should you use?
Use 量 for continuous quantities like volume, weight or work. In contrast, if you are talking about countable numbers, use 数. Additionally, when specifically referring to the amount of ingredients in a recipe or a specific portion size, the compound word 分量 is often used.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun 量 can be directly modified by adjectives such as 多い (many/much) or 少ない (few/little) to describe the quantity.
How do you pronounce it?
ryō
Did you know?
- While English uses 'amount' for both money and volume, Japanese uses 量 for the latter but avoids it for money. Instead, they use 額 (gaku) to describe a monetary amount, treating money as a flat sum rather than a volume.
- The kanji 量 contains a radical that originally represented a vessel used for measuring grain. This reflects the ancient agricultural roots of how 'amount' was conceptualized in East Asia.
- In Japanese, the word for 'amount' changes based on the physical state of the object. For example, you would use 量 for a mass of rice in a bowl but 数 for the individual grains of rice.
Examples in context
- 仕事量に応じて報酬が支払われます。You'll be paid according to the amount of work you do.This sentence shows how to use 量 to express being paid according to the amount of work.Tatoeba #10136262 by bunbuku, translation #16984 by CK
- なかなかの量A considerable amountThis sentence uses 量 to describe a considerable amount.
- 泡立てたクリームに少量のブランデーを加えます。A small amount of brandy is added to the whipped cream.This sentence uses 量 to describe a small amount of a liquid being added to a mixture.Tatoeba #1619990 by Christophe, translation #1619991 by Christophe
- りんごを三つThree apples
- 本を三冊Three books
- 猫が三匹いますI have three cats
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple is discussing how much rice to cook for dinner.
- 陽太 Yotaご飯の量はこれで大丈夫？Gohan no ryou wa kore de daijoubu?Is this amount of rice okay?
- 美咲 Misaki少し多いかもしれないね。Sukoshi ooi kamoshirenai ne.It might be a little too much.
- 陽太 Yotaじゃあ、少し減らすよ。Jaa, sukoshi herasu yo.Then, I will reduce it a little.
- 美咲 Misakiうん、お願い。Un, onegai.Yeah, please.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “amount” translations and entries 量, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
