博物 (bó wù) — natural science, natural history; (literary) erudite, broadly knowledgeable

Definition

博物 means 'natural history / natural science' in modern usage (e.g. 博物馆 'museum'). As a literary adjective it means 'broadly learned, erudite' — similar to 博学 but more bookish.

noun
natural sciencenatural history(literary) eruditebroadly knowledgeable
Easily confused

Examples

  • 博物，。
    Tā duì bó wù hěn gǎn xìng qù, yóu qí xǐ huan yán jiū kūn chóng.
    He is very interested in natural science, especially in studying insects.
  • 博物。
    Zhè běn shū xì tǒng de jiè shào le bó wù de jī běn zhī shi.
    This book systematically introduces the basics of natural history.
  • ，，博物。
    Tā dú shū hěn duō, xué shí yuān bó, kān chēng bó wù jūn zǐ.
    He reads widely and is profoundly learned, truly an erudite gentleman.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

博bóbroadly know
物wùthings

博 suggests broad knowledge and 物 means things, so it refers to knowing broadly about things.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
十十shíten
Sound part声符shēngfú
尃
尃fū博
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape comes from combining 十 (ten) with 尃; 尃 gives the sound.

Open 博 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
牛牛niú
Sound part声符shēngfú
勿
勿wù物wù
Same sound today

物 puts 牛 beside 勿: 牛 gives the meaning, and 勿 gives the sound.

Open 物 →

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