物 (wù) - thing, object, matter & substance

物Tone 4

wù ｜ 8 strokes ｜ radical: 牜

万响

物 · wù

thing, object, matter;

substance;

creature;

content

thing, object, mattersubstancecreature

Usage highlights

animalfoodobjectmaterialproductaffair

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • 心— mind, heart (as opposed to material things)
  • 神— spirit, deity (as opposed to material things)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • This is an animal (动物).
  • I bought some groceries (食物).
  • Physics studies matter (物质).
  • This is a cultural relic (文物).

Collocations

  • animal(动物)
  • food(食物)
  • object(物体)
  • material(物质)
  • product(物品)
  • affair(事物)

Idioms

  • All things are endowed with natural qualities(物各有性)
  • Things change with the passage of time(物换星移)
  • Be prepared for danger in times of peace(居安思危，有备无患)
  • Content is more important than wording(言之无文，行而不远)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Chinese philosophy, 物 represents the material world as opposed to the spiritual or mental realm.
  • The character appears in many classical texts discussing the nature of reality and existence.
  • In modern usage, it forms compounds for scientific and everyday concepts.

FAQ