When traveling or moving, you'll often hear the word 荷物 (nimotsu). It refers to your personal belongings, such as luggage, bags, or packages. Think of it as anything you carry with you.
For example, if you're going on a trip, your suitcase would be your 荷物. If you're carrying a backpack to school, that's also 荷物. It's a very practical word to know for everyday situations, especially when you need to talk about carrying or handling your things.
When discussing personal belongings in Japanese, 荷物 (nimotsu) is a versatile and commonly used term. It encompasses a wide range of items, from a small bag you carry daily to larger suitcases for travel. While it can often be translated as "luggage" or "baggage," it's also used in more general contexts to refer to your personal effects that you need to carry or transport. Understanding its broad application will help you accurately describe what you're carrying or what needs to be moved.
Hey there, Japanese learners! Today, we're diving into a super practical word: 荷物 (nimotsu).
- Japanese Word
- 荷物 (にもつ)
- Pronunciation
- nimotsu
- Meaning
- Personal belongings; luggage or baggage.
- CEFR Level
- A2
§ What 荷物 (nimotsu) means
荷物 (nimotsu) is a straightforward noun that refers to your personal items, whether you're talking about a small bag, a suitcase, or even just a few things you're carrying. Think of it as “luggage,” “baggage,” or “belongings” in English. It's a very common word you'll hear and use in all sorts of situations.
§ Where you'll hear 荷物 (nimotsu) — Work, School, News
You'll encounter 荷物 in a surprising variety of contexts. It's not just for airports!
- At the office: You might hear about someone's 荷物 when they're moving desks, leaving for a business trip, or even just talking about their daily commute.
- At school: Students and teachers alike will use this word. Think about leaving your 荷物 in a locker, or a teacher asking students to keep their 荷物 neatly.
- In the news: When there's a story about travel, natural disasters, or even a lost and found situation, 荷物 will often appear.
§ Examples of 荷物 (nimotsu) in use
Let's look at some real-world examples to make this clear.
その荷物を持って行ってください。
- Hint
- Please take that luggage/belongings.
お客様、お荷物はお預かりしましょうか？
- Hint
- Customer, would you like us to hold your baggage?
This second example is something you'd commonly hear in a hotel or at a train station. It's polite and offers assistance with your items.
離離の際はお荷物にお気をつけてください。
- Hint
- Please be careful with your belongings when you leave.
This phrase is often announced in public places like trains or department stores, reminding people not to forget their items.
§ 荷物 vs. 値荷 (nimotsu vs. mochinomono)
You might also come across 持ち物 (mochinomono), which also means “personal belongings.” What's the difference?
- 荷物 (nimotsu): This often implies items that are somewhat substantial, or that you are actively carrying or transporting. It can be a single item or many.
- 持ち物 (mochinomono): This term has a slightly broader meaning and can refer to anything you have on your person, including small items like a wallet, phone, or keys. It emphasizes personal possession.
Keep practicing with these examples, and you'll be using 荷物 naturally in no time!
Difficulty Rating
Common kanji, relatively easy to read.
Common kanji, relatively easy to write.
Common and frequent word.
Clear pronunciation, easy to distinguish.
What to Learn Next
Prerequisites
Learn Next
Advanced
How to Use It
When talking about your personal belongings in general, like a bag or a few items you carry, you can use 荷物 (nimotsu). It's a broad term that covers anything you're carrying or that belongs to you, especially when traveling or moving. For example, if you're asking someone to watch your bag, you might say: 荷物を見てください (Nimotsu o mite kudasai).
A common mistake is confusing 荷物 (nimotsu) with other words that also refer to 'things' or 'items.' While 荷物 specifically refers to personal belongings, baggage, or luggage, words like 物 (mono) are more general for 'things' or 'objects.' You wouldn't typically use 物 if you're specifically talking about your luggage at an airport. Another mistake can be trying to use it for 'cargo' in a very formal or commercial sense; for that, other more specific terms might be used.
Test Yourself 54 questions
空港で___を受け取りました。(I received my ___ at the airport.)
The context is about receiving something at the airport, and '荷物' (baggage) fits perfectly here.
この___は重いです。(This ___ is heavy.)
The sentence describes something as heavy, and '荷物' (luggage/belongings) is commonly described this way.
ホテルに___を預けました。(I left my ___ at the hotel.)
When staying at a hotel, people often leave their '荷物' (luggage) there.
彼の___はとても少ないです。(His ___ is very little.)
The sentence indicates that something is 'very little', and '荷物' (belongings) can be few.
駅に___を忘れました。(I forgot my ___ at the station.)
It's common to forget one's '荷物' (baggage) at a station.
手荷物検査で___を開けてください。(Please open your ___ at the hand luggage check.)
At a hand luggage check, you would be asked to open your '荷物' (baggage/personal belongings).
Which of these is most likely to be referred to as 荷物 (nimotsu)?
荷物 (nimotsu) specifically refers to personal belongings, luggage, or baggage, things you carry or transport. A suitcase fits this description best.
You are at the airport and need to check your bags. What word would you likely use for your bags?
In the context of travel and airports, 荷物 (nimotsu) is the appropriate word for luggage or bags.
You left your bag at a friend's house. How would you refer to your bag when asking for it back?
荷物 (nimotsu) can also refer to personal belongings in general, making it suitable for referring to a bag left at a friend's house.
荷物 (nimotsu) can refer to a large package you are sending by mail.
Yes, 荷物 (nimotsu) can also mean a package or parcel, especially one that is being transported or sent.
The word 荷物 (nimotsu) is typically used for a single, small item like a pencil.
While it can refer to personal belongings, 荷物 (nimotsu) usually implies something more substantial than a single small item like a pencil. It generally refers to luggage, baggage, or a collection of personal items.
If you are carrying many shopping bags, you could refer to them collectively as 荷物 (nimotsu).
Yes, a collection of shopping bags or other items being carried can be referred to as 荷物 (nimotsu).
Someone is asking you to pack your things.
Someone is describing their luggage.
Someone received their belongings at the airport.
Read this aloud:
私の荷物はどこですか？
Focus: ni-mo-tsu
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
この荷物を持って行きましょう。
Focus: mo-tte i-ki-ma-shō
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
大きい荷物があります。
Focus: ō-kii ni-mo-tsu
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
This sentence means 'This is my luggage.' The particles は (wa) and の (no) are essential for grammatical correctness.
This sentence means 'I have a lot of luggage.' が (ga) marks the subject, and たくさん (takusan) means 'a lot.'
This sentence means 'Where is your luggage?' の (no) shows possession, and どこ (doko) means 'where.'
空港で大きな___を見つけましたか？ (Did you find your large ___ at the airport?)
The sentence is asking about finding something large at the airport, which fits '荷物' (luggage).
この___を部屋まで運んでいただけますか？ (Could you please carry this ___ to my room?)
The context implies needing help to carry something, making '荷物' (luggage/belongings) the most suitable choice.
旅行の準備で、___をまとめなければなりません。 (I have to pack my ___ for the trip.)
When preparing for a trip, one typically packs '荷物' (luggage/belongings).
電車の棚に___を置くことができます。 (You can place your ___ on the train rack.)
The train rack is designed for placing '荷物' (luggage/baggage).
私たちは___を少なくして旅行することにしました。 (We decided to travel with less ___.)
Traveling with less often refers to reducing the amount of '荷物' (luggage).
彼の___はとても重そうでした。 (His ___ looked very heavy.)
Things that are physically heavy are typically '荷物' (luggage or belongings).
Choose the correct word to complete the sentence: 私は旅行のために新しい___を買いました。
The sentence means 'I bought new ___ for my trip.' '荷物' (nimotsu) means luggage/personal belongings, which fits the context of a trip.
Which word is best suited for the blank? 「すみません、この___は重すぎます。」
The sentence means 'Excuse me, this ___ is too heavy.' '荷物' (nimotsu) meaning luggage or personal belongings makes the most sense in this context as something that can be heavy.
You are at the airport. Which word would you use to refer to your bags? 空港で、自分のバッグを指すとき、どの言葉を使いますか？
In an airport context, '荷物' (nimotsu) is the correct term for luggage or bags.
「荷物」は、食べ物を指す言葉である。
「荷物」 (nimotsu) refers to luggage or personal belongings, not food.
あなたは旅行中に自分の服を入れるバッグを「荷物」と呼ぶことができます。
Yes, '荷物' (nimotsu) is the correct term for bags containing your clothes or belongings during a trip.
オフィスで使う書類は「荷物」とは呼ばない。
While '荷物' can broadly refer to items, it's not typically used for office documents in a professional context. You would use '書類' (shorui) for documents.
税関で長い列に並び、ようやく自分の___を受け取ることができた。
「荷物」は旅行などで運ぶ、まとまった持ち物を指す一般的な言葉です。文脈上、税関で受け取るものとして最も適切です。
海外旅行では、万が一の紛失に備えて、貴重品はスーツケースではなく___の中に入れておくべきだ。
「手荷物」は機内など自分で持ち運ぶ荷物を指し、貴重品を安全に保管する場所として適切です。一方、「荷物」は一般的な荷物全般を指し、この文脈では「手荷物」の方がより具体的で正確です。
引っ越しの際、大型家具だけでなく、小さな生活用品も全て___として運送業者に依頼した。
「荷物」は、運搬される物品全般を指すため、引っ越しで運ぶ生活用品全てを指すのに適切です。他の選択肢は特定の種類の物品を指します。
登山中、突然の雨に見舞われ、リュックの中の___が全て濡れてしまった。
リュックの中に入っている、運んでいるものを指す場合は「荷物」が最も自然です。他の選択肢も間違いではありませんが、「荷物」が最も包括的な表現です。
このサービスでは、規定サイズを超える___は追加料金が発生いたします。
「荷物」は、配送や運搬される物品を指す一般的な言葉として適切です。特にサイズ制限や料金体系が関連する場合によく使われます。
彼女は旅行から帰ってきて、大量の___を片付けるのに一日中かかった。
旅行から持ち帰ったものを片付けるという文脈では、「荷物」が最も適切で自然な表現です。お土産や買い物品も「荷物」の一部です。
This sentence means 'For the trip, you need to pack your luggage in advance.' The order follows a typical Japanese sentence structure of topic, adverbial phrase, object, and verb phrase.
This sentence means 'At the airport, please check the weight limit for checked baggage.' The order progresses from location to the object and then the action.
This sentence means 'His large amount of luggage didn't fit in the car's trunk.' The structure follows subject-object-verb, with modifiers placed before the nouns they describe.
You're at the airport.
Someone is struggling with heavy things.
Thinking about a trip.
Read this aloud:
ホテルに到着したら、まず荷物を部屋に運びましょう。
Focus: 荷物 (nimotsu)
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
この荷物は機内持ち込み可能ですか？
Focus: 機内持ち込み (kinai mochikomi)
You said:
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Read this aloud:
荷物を置く場所がありません。
Focus: 置く場所 (oku basho)
You said:
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/ 54 correct
Perfect score!
Related Content
Related Phrases
More travel words
くらい/ぐらい
B1Particle indicating extent, degree, or 'about/approximately'.
宿泊
B1The act of staying overnight in a place, such as a hotel or guest house. Essential for IELTS General Task 1 letters regarding travel complaints or bookings.
入場料
B1The fee paid to enter a place.
入場券
B1A ticket allowing entry to an event or place.
冒険
B1Adventure; an exciting or unusual experience.
手頃
B1Reasonable in price or size; affordable, suitable.
〜の後に
B1After (a noun or event).
〜の後で
B1After (time or place), behind.
飛行場
A2Airport.
航空会社
B1Airline company.
