死物 (sǐ wù) — dead thing; lifeless object | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A lifeless or inanimate thing — objects without life, consciousness, or agency. Often used to emphasize that something (e.g., a machine) is just a passive object, in contrast to living beings (生物) or people.

noun

dead thinglifeless object

Examples

死物，。
Zhè xiē sǐ wù fàng zài xiāng zi lǐ, méi rén qù pèng.
These dead things are placed in the box, and no one touches them.
死物。
Kǎo gǔ xué jiā fā xiàn le xǔ duō gǔ dài de sǐ wù.
Archaeologists discovered many ancient lifeless objects.
，死物。
Duì tā lái shuō, nà xiē jī qì zhǐ shì sǐ wù ér yǐ.
To him, those machines are just lifeless things.

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.

死 means dead and 物 means thing, together referring to lifeless objects.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

尸

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

死 is built from 歹 and 尸: 歹 is the part tied to the meaning, and 尸 gives the sound.

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

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.

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