荷 means “load, luggage, cargo”

に · ni

Also: baggage, shoulder-pole load, bear (a burden), shoulder (a gun)

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)
に
On'yomi (Chinese reading)
カ

JLPT N2 · Taught in grade 3 · 10 strokes

The story

Plants (艹) over 何, a character that first pictured a person shouldering a load: something to carry. 荷物 is luggage or a parcel, 出荷 is shipping goods out, and 荷が重い, "the load is heavy," is said of a job that feels like too much.

Used in 荷物 (nimotsu, luggage/package), 出荷 (shukka, shipment), and 重荷 (omoni, burden)

More from Getting It There

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Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.