重量
zhòngliàng
In Chinese, the word for weight can be expressed as 重量 (zhòngliàng) or 體重 / 体重.
Meaning: force due to gravity (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 重量 | zhòngliàng |
| 體重 / 体重 | tǐzhòng |
The term 重量 is used to refer to the weight of an object, a load or general physical mass. It can also be used to describe a person's weight in formal or scientific contexts. In contrast, 體重 / 体重 is used specifically when referring to the weight of a living body, such as a person or an animal.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 重量 is composed of 重 (heavy) and 量 (amount/measure). The word 體重 / 体重 is composed of 体 (body) and 重 (heavy/weight).
Which one should you use?
重量 is used for the weight of inanimate objects or general physical mass, whereas 體重 / 体重 is used specifically for the weight of a living body.
How do you pronounce it?
zhòngliàng
What mistakes should you avoid?
When asking someone how much they weigh, you would use 體重 / 体重 rather than 重量.
Did you know?
- The character 重 in both words, when pronounced 'zhòng', means 'heavy', but it can also be pronounced 'chóng' to mean 'repeated' or 'overlapping', a completely different meaning unrelated to mass.
- The character 量 in 重量 is a pictograph that originally depicted a vessel used for measuring grain. This ancient imagery of a container still defines the word's meaning as 'amount' or 'measure' today.
- While English uses 'weight' for both objects and people, using 重量 to ask a person's weight in China can sound strangely clinical, as if you are weighing an inanimate object in a laboratory.
Examples in context
- 这冰太薄不能承受你的重量。The ice is too thin to bear your weight.This sentence shows how to use 重量 regarding the weight of a person on ice.Tatoeba #13104195 by maina, translation #44324 by Dejo
- 總重量過大，導致卡車拋錨。Their combined weight was too much and caused the truck to break down.This sentence uses 重量 to describe the weight of a load causing a truck to break down.Tatoeba #13837435 by LeviHighway, translation #13440583 by frpzzd
- 那房子在積雪的重量下坍塌了。The house collapsed under the weight of snow.This sentence uses 重量 to describe the weight of snow on a house.Tatoeba #10514093 by DaoSeng, translation #272584 by CK
- 我的体重是60公斤。My weight is 60 kilograms.
- 请告诉我这个箱子的重量。Please tell me the weight of this box.
- 现在体重是多少公斤？What is your weight now in kilograms?
- 这个水果有多重？How much does this fruit weigh?
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
浩然 and 晓雯 are at a luggage check-in counter at the airport.
- 浩然 Haoran這件行李的重量是多少？Zhè jiàn xíngli de zhòngliàng shì duōshǎo?What is the weight of this piece of luggage?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen大約二十公斤。Dàyuē èrshí gōngjīn.About twenty kilograms.
- 浩然 Haoran那還可以嗎？Nà hái kěyǐ ma?Is that acceptable then?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen沒問題，沒有超重。Méi wèntí, méiyǒu chāozhòng.No problem, it is not overweight.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “weight” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
