Meaning
容量 refers to the amount that something can hold or contain. It's used for physical containers (like bottles or tanks), digital storage (like hard drives or memory), and abstract capacities (like a person's ability to handle work). The word combines 容 (to hold/contain) and 量 (quantity/measure).
Usage
This is a formal, technical term commonly used in product specifications, technical documentation, and everyday discussions about storage or capacity. Native speakers use it when discussing phone memory, battery capacity, water tank volume, or even a person's capacity for work. It's neutral in register and appropriate for both spoken and written contexts.
Examples
- 01这个硬盘的容量是一个TB。.This hard drive has a capacity of one terabyte.
- 02手机容量不够了，我需要删除一些照片。, .My phone's storage capacity isn't enough; I need to delete some photos.
Characters
Common collocations
- 存储容量storage capacity
- 电池容量battery capacity
- 容量不足insufficient capacity
- 内存容量memory capacity
Origin
The word is a compound of 容 (to contain) and 量 (to measure), literally meaning 'the amount that can be contained.' Both characters have been used in Chinese for thousands of years, but the modern technical usage became standardized in the 20th century.