容量

• Pinyin: róng liàng
• Hanzi breakdown: 容 = 宀 + 谷 (house + valley = contain); 量 = 日 + 一 + 里 (measure from sunrise = amount/volume)

Meaning

Capacity; volume; the maximum amount that something can hold, contain, or store.

Used in both physical and digital contexts. Physical: the volume of a container, reservoir, or venue. Digital: the storage capacity of a device or server. Also used metaphorically for a person's psychological ability to handle pressure or conflicting views (心理容量).

Examples

1. 这座水库的蓄水容量超过两亿立方米，是本地区规模最大的水利工程。 This reservoir has a storage capacity of over 200 million cubic meters, making it the largest water conservancy project in the region.
2. 新款旗舰手机的存储容量高达一千吉字节，充分满足用户对大容量的需求。 The new flagship phone offers up to 1,000 gigabytes of storage, fully meeting users’ demand for large capacity.
3. 一名优秀的管理者需要具备足够的心理容量，才能包容团队成员的不同意见。 An excellent manager needs enough emotional capacity to tolerate different opinions among team members.

Usage Guide

Context: technology, engineering, management

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 该数据中心的存储容量已接近饱和，亟需启动扩容升级方案。(The data centre's storage capacity is close to saturation and an expansion and upgrade plan needs to be launched urgently.)
• 这款新型电池的容量大幅提升，整机续航时间因此延长至三天以上。(The capacity of this new battery has been significantly increased, extending the device's battery life to more than three days.)

Don't Say

• 这个人容量很大 — without context 容量 sounds unnatural for people; say 他的胸襟宽广 or 他的心理承受能力很强 instead

Origin & History

容 (to contain/hold) + 量 (volume/measure)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal