Translation and Meaning of: 引力 - inryoku

If you have ever watched a science fiction anime or read manga like Dragon Ball, you have probably come across the word 引力 [いんりょく]. But what does it really mean? In the Suki Nihongo dictionary, you will find not only the literal translation ("gravity"), but also the correct writing in kanji, usage examples, and even ready-to-use sentences to include in your Anki. In this article, we will explore the origin of this word, how the Japanese use it in daily life, and some curiosities that will help you memorize it for good.

In addition to its basic meaning, いんりょく carries interesting nuances. Does it appear in popular expressions? Are there puns or word games involving gravity in Japan? And why is this term so prevalent in works of fiction? If you’ve ever wondered about these questions, keep reading—we're going to uncover all of this and a bit more.

Etymology and origin of the kanji 引力

The word 引力 is made up of two kanjis: 引 (to pull, to attract) and 力 (force). Together, they literally mean "force of attraction," a perfect description for the physical concept of gravity. Interestingly, this construction is similar to the Chinese term for the same phenomenon, showing how the shared ideograms between the languages maintain a consistent logic.

The kanji 引 appears in various other words related to movement, such as 引っ張る (to pull with force) or 引用 (citation, something "pulled" from another source). Meanwhile, 力 is one of the most versatile radicals in Japanese, present in like 努力 (effort) and 能力 (ability). This pair was not chosen by chance—it captures the essence of what gravity does: an invisible force that attracts everything around it.

Everyday and cultural use of いんりょく

Outside of physics books, 引力 often appears in metaphors and popular expressions. Have you ever heard someone say that a person "has a special gravity"? In Japan, phrases like 彼には人を引き寄せる引力がある ("He has a gravity that attracts people") are common to describe charisma or a strong presence. It’s one of those that effortlessly transitions between the technical and the poetic.

In pop culture, gravity becomes the theme of memorable songs and dialogues. The band B'z has a song called 引力, where the word symbolizes the irreversible attraction between two people. And who doesn't the epic scenes in Attack on Titan, where the manipulation of gravity turns into a weapon of war? These uses show how a scientific concept gains its own life in the Japanese imagination.

How to memorize 引力 and avoid confusions

One of the best ways to fix いんりょく is to associate it with concrete images. Think of the kanji 引 as a rope being pulled (the long stroke represents the movement) and 力 as a flexed muscle—together, they create the "force that pulls." If you have already studied physics, making the connection with Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation also helps to consolidate the meaning.

Be careful not to confuse it with 重力 (じゅうりょく), another term for gravity that emphasizes the aspect of "weight" (重). While 引力 describes the force itself, 重力 appears more in contexts like terrestrial gravity. Note this in your study notebook—this subtle difference can prevent headaches when translating technical texts!

Vocabulary

Expand your vocabulary with related words:

Synonyms and similar words

• 引力 (inryoku) - Force of attraction between bodies.
• 重力 (juuryoku) - Gravitational force that pulls objects toward the center of the Earth.
• 恒星間引力 (ouseikan inryoku) - Gravitational force between stars.
• 万有引力 (banyuuinryoku) - Law of universal gravitation that describes the attraction between any pair of masses.