有机物 (yǒu jī wù) — organic matter, organic substance

Definition

In biology and environmental science, 有机物 means 'organic matter' — carbon-based substances in soil, plants, and living things, as opposed to inorganic matter (无机物).

noun

organic matterorganic substance

Measure word · 种

Examples

有机物。
Tǔ rǎng zhōng de yǒu jī wù duì zhí wù shēng zhǎng fēi cháng zhòng yào.
Organic matter in the soil is very important for plant growth.
有机物。
Zhè zhǒng shū cài hán yǒu fēng fù de yǒu jī wù.
This type of vegetable is rich in organic matter.
有机物。
Kē xué jiā zhèng zài yán jiū rú hé fēn jiě zhè xiē yǒu jī wù.
Scientists are studying how to break down these organic substances.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

有机organic

有yǒuhave机jīmechanism

动宾Verb + object

物wùmatter

有机物 uses 有机 ('organic') to specify the kind of 物 ('matter'), giving organic matter.

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

肉肉ròumeat

Sound part声符shēngfú

又

又yòu有yǒu

Same sound today

The form 有 combines 又, used for its sound, with a shape from 肉, 'meat'; the hand-holding-meat story is a folk explanation, not shown in the oldest shape.

Open 有 →

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

木几机

Meaning part形符xíngfú

木木mùtree; wood

Sound part声符shēngfú

几

几jǐ机jī

Same sound today

The left part is 木 (tree; wood), and the right part 几 gives the sound.

Open 机 →

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