物体 (wù tǐ) — object; body; substance | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A physical thing you can see and touch — a solid body or material object, used in science and everyday speech. Unlike 事物 (any 'thing' or matter, including abstract) and 物质 (matter/substance as a physical concept).

noun

objectbodysubstance

Measure word · 个

Examples

物体，。
Zhè ge wù tǐ hěn zhòng, wǒ bān bú dòng.
This object is very heavy; I can't move it.
物体。
Tiān wén xué jiā zhèng zài guān cè nà ge wù tǐ.
Astronomers are observing that celestial body.
物体？
Qǐng wèn zhè ge wù tǐ shì shén me cái liào zuò de?
May I ask what material this substance is made of?

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.

物wùmatter

物 (matter) and 体 (body) together name a physical body or object.

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.

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.

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 體; 体 is its simplified writing.

骨豊體

Meaning part形符xíngfú

骨骨gǔbone

Sound part声符shēngfú

豊

豊lǐ體tǐ

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

The traditional form 體 pairs 骨 (bone) with 豊 as a sound part; this note is about 體, not about the parts of 体.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 6 Miscellaneous Objects

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