Chinese Term:
Pinyin:
物
Wù
Recommended English:
Wù (recommended in philosophical and cross-cultural contexts where the original Chinese term is retained)
Thing (when referring to an individual thing or object)
Object (when referring to an object of perception or knowledge)
Being (when referring to living beings or the myriad forms of existence)
The Material World (when referring to the external world in relation to Xin)
Category:
Chinese Classics
English Interpretation:
Wù (物) may refer to an individual thing, all beings, the material world, or everything that exists outside one's own Xin, depending on the classical context.
In the Book of Changes, Wù extends far beyond the meaning of a physical object. It embraces the myriad beings, the countless manifestations of life and nature, and the principles embodied in all things. Human understanding is not limited to knowing individual objects, but gradually expands toward understanding the patterns and relationships underlying the world.
In The Great Learning, Wù becomes the foundation of Ge Wu (格物). Here, Wù is not merely something to be investigated. It represents everything in the external world that may influence or dominate the human mind. The purpose of Ge Wu is to restore the proper relationship between Xin and Wù, so that human beings may make use of the material world without becoming enslaved by it.
Only when this relationship is properly established can genuine understanding arise. From this foundation develop Zhi Zhi (致知), Cheng Yi (诚意), Zheng Xin (正心), and the successive stages of cultivation presented in The Great Learning.
中文释义：
物在中国经典中具有广泛而丰富的含义。
它既可以指具体的事物、器物，也可以泛指万事万物，以及人与自身相对的外在世界。
《易经·系传》多次论及物，如"知周乎万物""曲成万物而不遗""备物致用""开物成务"等，说明物不仅是具体事物，更代表天地万物及其运行之理。学习经典，不只是认识个别事物，更是逐渐通达万物之理。
《大学》进一步提出格物致知。这里的物并不仅是研究对象，而是包括一切能够影响、支配人心的外在事物。格物的目的，并非执著于外物，而是恢复心与物之间正确的关系，使人能够善用万物，而不为外物所役。
唯有建立正确的心物关系，才能真正致知，进一步达到诚意、正心、修身，完成《大学》所提出的修养次第。
Translation Note | 翻译说明：
There is no single English equivalent for Wù. Depending on the classical context, it may be translated as Wù, Thing, Object, Being, or The Material World. Different compound terms derived from Wù also require different translations according to their context.
物 Thing / Object
万物 The Myriad Beings
外物 External Things
心物 Xin and the Material World
格物 Ge Wu (see entry)
物化 Materialization / Objectification (depending on context)
物在中国经典中的意义远比现代所说的"物体"或"东西"更广。它既可以表示具体事物，也可以表示万事万物、外在世界，以及与心相对的一切存在。在不同经典中，物的重点各有不同，因此翻译时应依据具体语境选择最恰当的英文表达，而不能简单统一译为 thing 或 object。
Classical Source:
Dao De Jing《道德经》
万物负阴而抱阳，冲气以为和。
The myriad beings carry Yin on their backs and embrace Yang, achieving harmony through Qi.
The Book of Changes · Xici《易经·系传》
知周乎万物，而道济天下。
Understanding extends throughout the myriad beings, and through the Dao one benefits the world.
曲成万物而不遗。
The myriad beings are brought to completion without leaving any behind.
备物致用，立成器以为天下利。
Preparing all things for their proper use and creating useful implements for the benefit of the world.
精气为物，游魂为变。
Essence and Qi give rise to living beings; the wandering spirit gives rise to transformation.
Zhuangzi《庄子》
物物而不物于物。
Able to engage with all things without becoming constrained by them.
The Great Learning《大学》
致知在格物。
Attaining true understanding lies in Ge Wu—freeing the mind from the domination of external things.
Related Terms:
天
地
心
气
道
德