Chinese word

物质

Pronunciation

Pinyinwù zhì

Meaning

  • nounsubstance

Example

这些物质可以回收。zhè xiē wù zhì ké yǐ huí shōu

These substances can be recycled.

Illustration for 物质 (substance)

More examples

经济发展需要坚实的物质基础。jīng jì fā zhǎn xū yào jiān shí de wù zhì jī chǔ

Economic development needs a solid material foundation.

Core concept

The physical stuff that makes up an object and can be sensed or measured.

Common phrases

  • 物质基础wù zhì jī chǔ

    material foundation

  • 物质财富wù zhì cái fù

    material wealth

  • 物质资源wù zhì zī yuán

    material resources

Similar words

材料cái liào: The stuff used to make or build a product or object.
成分chéng fèn: A chemical component that makes up part of a substance or mixture.
物体wù tǐ: A real physical thing that has shape and takes up space.
东西dōng xī: A concrete everyday item referred to in casual speech.

Definition in Chinese

指构成客观世界的有形实体或物料，具有一定的质量、体积或成分，可被感知或测量。zhǐ gòu chéng kè guān shì jiè de yǒu xíng shí tǐ huò wù liào jù yǒu yí dìng de zhì liàng tǐ jī huò chéng fèn kě bèi gǎn zhī huò cè liáng

Word origin

物质 (wùzhì, "substance") combines 物 (wù, "thing") with 质 (zhì, "nature or composition"), linking a thing to the physical qualities that make it what it is.

Usage tips

  • In conversational Chinese, this word often sounds more technical than the casual word for an ordinary thing, so it is especially useful in science, manufacturing, and environmental talk.

Other meanings

  • materialnoun

Opposites

Related words

  • 物质性wù zhì xìngmaterialitynoun
  • 物质化wù zhì huàmaterializeverb

Word lists with this word