The Meaning of nimotsu [荷物] In Japanese

荷物
にもつ
Romaji: nimotsu N5

What does 荷物 mean?

Translation and Meaning

baggage, luggage, cargo, load, burden

Definition

What does 荷物 mean? It denotes the general concept of items that are carried or transported, including personal belongings and shipments, and it is used in travel, hospitality, and logistics contexts.

Type

Noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • personal belongings and luggage carried by a person
  • parcels or shipments handled in transport and courier services
  • figurative burden or responsibility placed on someone

Composition

  • 荷: carry, load
  • 物: thing, object
  • When combined, 荷物 denotes items carried or transported, i.e., luggage or freight

Usage

Used across travel, shopping, and logistics. In casual speech it refers to bags and belongings; in formal contexts it can refer to shipments or cargo. Common grammatical patterns include 荷物を持つ to carry 荷物 and 荷物が多い to describe many bags.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: picture a traveler with a load on their back labeled 荷 and 物; the phrase nimotsu literally becomes the things you carry, so associate 荷 with carrying and 物 with things.

Variations

  • 手荷物 — carry-on luggage (てにもつ)
  • 貨物 — cargo, freight (かもつ)
  • 重荷 — heavy burden or load (おもに)

Example Phrases

  • 改札を出たとき 荷物を 忘れた かもしれない が すぐ 戻った。
    kaisatsu o deta toki nimotsu o wasureta kamoshirenai ga sugu modotta.
    I might have forgotten my luggage when I exited the gate, and I went back immediately.
    Lista:
    • 改札 (kaisatsu) – gate
    • 出たとき (deta toki) – when exiting
    • 荷物 (nimotsu) – luggage
    • を (o) – object marker
    • 忘れた (wasureta) – forgot
    • かもしれない (kamoshirenai) – might
    • が (ga) – but
    • すぐ (sugu) – immediately
    • 戻った (modotta) – returned
    In this sentence, 「荷物」 is the direct object of 忘れた; 荷物を忘れた means ‘forgot my luggage’.
  • 会社帰りにコンビニで荷物を受け取り、家で開封する。
    Kaisha-gaeri ni konbini de nimotsu o uketori, ie de kaifuu suru.
    On the way home from work, I pick up the package at the convenience store and open it at home.
    Lista:
    • 会社帰りに (kaisha gaeri ni) – on the way home from work
    • コンビニで (konbini de) – at the convenience store
    • 荷物を (nimotsu o) – the package
    • 受け取り、 (uketori) – the act of receiving
    • 家で (ie de) – at home
    • 開封する。 (kaifuu suru) – to open the package
    Here, 「受け取り」 is the noun form of the verb 「受け取る」 and is used with を to mark the object.
  • 重い 荷物を 背中で 感じながら 電車を 降りた。
    Omoi nimotsu o senaka de kanjinagara densha o orita.
    I got off the train, feeling the heavy luggage on my back.
    Lista:
    • 重い (omoi) – heavy
    • 荷物を (nimotsu o) – luggage (object)
    • 背中で (senaka de) – on the back
    • 感じながら (kanjinagara) – while feeling
    • 電車を (densha o) – train (object)
    • 降りた (orita) – got off
    The target word 「重い」 describes 荷物 here; 「を」 marks the direct object, and 感じながら shows doing two actions at once.
  • 今、駅で友達に荷物を預ける。
    Ima, eki de tomodachi ni nimotsu o azukeru.
    I’m dropping off my luggage with a friend at the station now.
    Lista:
    • 今 (Ima) – now
    • 駅で (eki de) – at the station
    • 友達に (tomodachi ni) – to a friend
    • 荷物を (nimotsu o) – luggage
    • 預ける (azukeru) – to entrust/leave
    Core grammar: here 「預ける」 means to entrust/leave (something) with someone; pattern: [person]に [thing]を預ける, as in 友達に荷物を預ける.
  • 倉庫で 店長と 荷物の 出荷日を 確認する。
    sōko de tenchō to nimotsu no shukkabi o kakunin suru.
    I confirm the shipment date of the luggage with the manager at the warehouse.
    Lista:
    • 倉庫で (sōko de) – at the warehouse
    • 店長と (tenchō to) – with the manager
    • 荷物の (nimotsu no) – of the luggage
    • 出荷日を (shukkabi o) – shipment date (object marker)
    • 確認する (kakunin suru) – to confirm
    It uses the location particle 「で」 after 倉庫 to mark where the action happens, and the comitative 「と」 with 店長 to mean “with the manager.” 荷物の出荷日 forms a noun phrase using the possessive 「の」 to connect 荷物 and 出荷日.
荷物