物and事情

[Andy-Ru]

Hi everyone! I was having some difficulty finding the difference of meaning between 物 and 事情...what is the difference?

Thanks

Andy-Ru

[studentyoung]

I was having some difficulty finding the difference of meaning between 物 and 事情...what is the difference?

物：an object; a tangible and visible entity; an entity that can cast a shadow; etc.

事情：an event; a situation; an action; etc.

Thanks!

[lilymei]

物：人以外的具体的东西；Specific stuff except people

For example: 润物细无声。——唐·杜甫《春夜喜雨》

事情：人类生活中的一切活动和现象；all the activity or signs related to people's life.

For example:一件怪事情发生了。

[Andy-Ru]

thankyou student young!!

so does that mean 物and东西have the exact same meaning...? since东西refers to "things" that have a physical body...?

thanks again,

Andy-Ru

[studentyoung]

so does that mean 物and东西have the exact same meaning...? since东西refers to "things" that have a physical body...?

In most cases, it is right. However,I can at least give you an exception.

空气是一种看不见也摸不着的东西。Air is something invisible and intangible.

Thanks!

[muirm]

东西 and 物 are pretty much identical in literal meaning, but 物 is ａｌｍｏｓｔ never used alone. It appears in compounds like 动物 （"moving thing＂＝　ａｎｉｍａｌ），　ｏｒ　价廉物美　（＂ｐｒｉｃｅ　ｃｈｅａｐ　ｔｈｉｎｇ　ｂｅａｕｔｉｆｕｌ＂　＝　ａｎ　ｉｔｅｍ　ｔｈａｔ　ｉｓ　ｉｎｅｘｐｅｎｓｉｖｅ　ａｎｄ　ｏｆ　ｇｏｏｄ　ｑｕａｌｉｔｙ／ａｔｔｒａｃｔｉｃｅ）．

Ｏｎ　ａ　ｓｉｄｅ　ｎｏｔｅ，　Ｉ　ｆｉｎｄ　ｔｈａｔ　东西　ｈａｓ　ａ　ｓｌｉｇｈｔｌｙ　ｂｒｏａｄｅｒ　ｍｅａｎｉｎｇ　ｔｈａｎ　ｔｈｅ　ｄｉｃｔｉｏｎａｒｙ　ｍｉｇｈｔ　ｓａｙ．　Ｃｈｉｎｅｓｅ　ｐｅｏｐｌｅ　ｗｉｌｌ　ｓｏｍｅｔｉｍｅｓ　ｕｓｅ　ｉｔ　ｉｎ　ｐａｓｓｉｎｇ　ｔｏ　ｒｅｆｅｒ　ｔｏ　ｎｏｎ－ｔａｎｇｉｂｌｅ　ｔｈｉｎｇｓ．

[Mugi]

lilymei wrote: 物：人以外的具体的东西；Specific stuff except people

Except in the compound 人物 !