秤(はかり)

秤(はかり) is the general term for a weighing device — any type of scale or balance. Also sometimes written as はかり in hiragana or 計(はかり).

Types of scales

• キッチン秤(はかり): kitchen scale
• デジタル秤(はかり): digital scale
• 台秤(だいばかり): platform scale
• 天秤(てんびん): balance scale (also figurative: weighing options)
• 体重計(たいじゅうけい): bathroom/body weight scale (uses 計(けい) not 秤(はかり))

Related words

• 量(はか)る / 計(はか)る: to measure, to weigh
• 重(おも)さ: weight
• 計量(けいりょう): measurement

Usage

The kanji 秤(はかり) is not a common-use kanji (常用漢字(じょうようかんじ)), so it is often written in hiragana. In stores, 量(はか)り売(う)り means "sold by weight."