重量 (zhòng liàng) means 'weight' in the physical sense—specifically mass measured in units like grams or kilograms. It is a compound noun formed from 重 (zhòng), meaning 'heavy' or 'weighty', and 量 (liàng), meaning 'measure' or 'quantity'. Together, they literally convey 'the measure of heaviness', distinguishing it from weight as a force (which requires context like gravity). This term is used in scientific, commercial, and everyday contexts—such as weighing luggage, describing animal size, or calculating shipping costs.

Unlike the verb phrase 称重 (chēng zhòng, 'to weigh'), 重量 is strictly a noun and cannot function as a verb. It’s neutral in register and appears frequently in both spoken and written Chinese, especially when precision matters—e.g., product labels, veterinary records, or physics discussions. It does not imply value or importance (that’s 重要, zhòng yào); confusing the two is a common learner error.