杂物 (zá wù) — odds and ends; miscellaneous items; clutter

Definition

noun

odds and endsmiscellaneous itemsclutter

Measure word · 件

Examples

杂物，。
Chōu ti lǐ duī mǎn le zá wù, dé hǎo hǎo shōu shi yí xià.
The drawer is stuffed with odds and ends; it needs a good cleanup.
杂物。
Bān jiā shí cái fā xiàn jiā lǐ yǒu zhè me duō bú bì yào de zá wù.
Only when moving did I realize how much unnecessary clutter there was at home.
杂物，？
Zhè xiē zá wù fàng zài jiǎo luò hěn jiǔ le, yào bú yào rēng diào?
These odds and ends have been sitting in the corner for a long time—should we throw them away?

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.

杂zámiscellaneous

物wùthings

杂物 is 物 that are 杂, miscellaneous 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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 雜; 杂 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

衣衣yī

Sound part声符shēngfú

集

集jí雜zá

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 雜 pairs 衣 (clothes) with 集 as a sound part, originally referring to mixed colours, perhaps in dyed clothes; the simplified 杂 is a later shorthand.

Open 杂 →

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

牛勿物

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 →

Appears in