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March 24, 2026
物wù(wu4)
The character 物 (wù) refers to a thing, object, or matter. It is commonly used to denote physical items or substances, and can also refer to abstract concepts in certain contexts, such as in physics (物理, wùlǐ). In daily use, it can describe anything from tangible items to more abstract matters.
Strokes8Radical牛Frequency#1773DifficultyEasy
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, the concept of 物 extends beyond mere objects to include philosophical ideas about the nature of existence and reality, often discussed in Daoist texts that explore the relationship between matter and spirit.
Memory Tip
Imagine a wizard (the 'w' sound in wù) conjuring up various objects from thin air. The character 物 resembles a person holding something in their hands, symbolizing the act of possessing or interacting with objects.
Meanings of 物
wù(wu4)
1thing
2object
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 物
物Simplified
8Strokes
牛Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#1773Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L2
Podcast: 物
Podcast: 物
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AI Study Notes for 物
Quick Contrast
物 (wù) vs 东西 (dōngxi) — choose 物 for a more formal or abstract reference to objects, while 东西 is more casual and commonly used in everyday speech.
Usage Notes
Be careful not to confuse 物 with similar-sounding characters. It is used in both formal and informal contexts, but is particularly prevalent in academic settings, such as science. Common collocations include 物品 (wùpǐn, items) and 物质 (wùzhì, substance).
HSK Study Tips
Although not included in HSK levels, 物 connects to words like 物品 (item) and 物质 (substance), which are useful for students to learn about categorization and classification. Focus on recognizing its usage in scientific contexts.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 物 with 事 (shì), which means 'affair' or 'matter', leading to incorrect phrases like 事质 (shìzhì) instead of 物质 (wùzhì). Always remember that 物 specifically refers to physical objects or substances.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 物
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六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声å—)~80-90% of characters
Explanation
Phonosemantic compound. 牛 represents the meaning and 勿 represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "variety", depicting the variety of colors on a cow. Later the meaning shifted to "things".
Phonosemantic compound. 牛 represents the meaning and 勿 represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "variety", depicting the variety of colors on a cow. Later the meaning shifted to "things".
1The meaning half牛 carries the sense.
2The sound half勿 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
3The giveawayox
4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 物? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.
Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1
Character Formation Type
What type of character formation is 物?
Decomposition of 物
IDS Structure⿰牛勿
物Full Character
=
牛Niu2
left
勿wu4
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 物?
How to say thing in Chinese
“thing” in Chinese is物wù
The character 物 (wù) refers to a thing, object, or matter. It is commonly used to denote physical items or substances, and can also refer to abstract concepts in certain contexts, such as in physics (物理, wùlǐ). In daily use, it can describe anything from tangible items to more abstract matters.
When to use 物
Be careful not to confuse 物 with similar-sounding characters. It is used in both formal and informal contexts, but is particularly prevalent in academic settings, such as science. Common collocations include 物品 (wùpǐn, items) and 物质 (wùzhì, substance).
物 or something close to it
物 (wù) vs 东西 (dōngxi) — choose 物 for a more formal or abstract reference to objects, while 东西 is more casual and commonly used in everyday speech.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 物 with 事 (shì), which means 'affair' or 'matter', leading to incorrect phrases like 事质 (shìzhì) instead of 物质 (wùzhì). Always remember that 物 specifically refers to physical objects or substances.
Write 物
物
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Grammar Patterns of 物
物 carries 5 distinct meanings. Below you'll find the patterns that show how it combines with other words, plus example sentences pulled directly from native usage.
Many of the cars you will see at auction are repossessions.
9
他难道不是你见过的最美的事物么？
tā nán dào bù shì nǐ jiàn guò de zuì měi de shì wù mó？
Isn't he just the most beautiful thing you ever saw?
10
你想做的事就只是去购物！
nǐ xiǎng zuò de shì jiù zhī shì qù gòu wù！
All you ever want to do is go shopping!
Cultural Notes for 物
💡Did you know?
In Chinese philosophy, the term 物质 (wùzhì) refers to matter, which is a fundamental concept in both physics and metaphysics, emphasizing the relationship between the physical world and the essence of existence.
Word Family of 物
Compounds1
惣
Words Containing This Character20
礼物lǐwùgift禮物
物wùthing
动物dòngwùanimal動物
人物rénwùperson
食物shíwùfood
药物yàowùmedicaments藥物
生物shēngwùorganism
物质wùzhìmatter物質
购物gòuwùshopping購物
怪物guàiwumonster
物品wùpǐnarticles
事物shìwùthing
植物zhíwùplant
博物馆bówùguǎnmuseum博物館
宠物chǒngwùhouse pet寵物
物理wùlǐphysics
废物fèiwùrubbish廢物
文物wénwùcultural relic
货物huòwùgoods貨物
物业wùyèproperty物業
Exercise 1 of 4
Compound Meaning
What does 礼物 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 物
Yes, 物 is used in idioms such as 物以类聚 (wù yǐ lèi jù), which translates to 'things of a kind come together.' This idiom conveys the idea that similar people or things tend to associate with each other.
Some common phrases that include 物 are 物品 (wùpǐn), meaning 'items' or 'goods,' and 物质 (wùzhì), meaning 'substance' or 'matter.' These phrases are frequently used in everyday conversation and academic contexts.
To use 物 in a sentence, you can say something like '这个物很贵' (Zhège wù hěn guì), which means 'This thing is expensive.' It can be combined with other words to specify types of objects, such as 食物 (shíwù) for 'food' or 动物 (dòngwù) for 'animals.'
物 (wù) means 'thing' or 'object' in Chinese. It is often used to refer to physical items or matters in general. Additionally, it is an abbreviation for physics (物理).
物 is more formal and often used in academic or scientific contexts, while 东西 is a more casual and general term for 'things'.
Yes, in certain contexts, especially in philosophy or science, 物 can refer to abstract matters or concepts.
Common phrases include 物品 (wùpǐn, items) and 物理 (wùlǐ, physics).
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