1.
load; baggage; cargo
Goods or baggage being carried or transported. Often appears in compounds such as 荷物 (luggage) rather than as a standalone word in modern speech.
荷を背負う。
To carry a load on one's back.
重い荷を馬に積んだ。
We loaded a heavy cargo onto the horse.
船に荷を積み込む作業が続いている。
The work of loading cargo onto the ship is still going on.
2.
burden; responsibility
Figuratively, a weight of responsibility or worry that one must bear. Used in set expressions about feeling burdened or relieved.
試験が終わり、肩の荷が下りた。
The exam ended and a weight came off my shoulders.
この仕事は私には荷が重すぎる。
This job is too heavy a burden for me.
親の介護が大きな荷になっている。
Caring for my parents has become a heavy burden.
Standalone 荷 is somewhat literary; most everyday uses appear in compounds or set expressions. The figurative 'burden' sense is the more common standalone use today.
COMMON EXPRESSIONS:
- 肩の荷が下りる: to feel a weight lift off one's shoulders
- 荷が重い: to be too much of a burden; to be over one's head
- 荷を下ろす: to set down a load (literal or figurative)
- 重荷: heavy burden (compound form)