实物 (shí wù) — Chinese Word

noun HSK 4

Traditional 實物

shí wù

physical object · material object · actual goods · in kind

Meaning

实物 refers to tangible, physical objects or goods that exist in material form, as opposed to abstract concepts, money, or virtual items. It emphasizes the concrete, real-world nature of something you can touch and see.

Usage

Commonly used in economic, business, and legal contexts when distinguishing physical goods from cash payments or abstract values. Often appears in phrases like 实物支付 (payment in kind) or 实物资产 (physical assets). In everyday speech, it can refer to actual products versus pictures or descriptions.

Examples

01
网上的照片和实物可能有差异。
Wǎng shàng de zhào piān hé shí wù kě néng yǒu chā yì.
The online photos may differ from the actual product.
02
公司用实物奖励代替现金奖金。
Gōng sī yòng shí wù jiǎng lì dài tì xiàn jīn jiǎng jīn.
The company uses rewards in kind instead of cash bonuses.

Characters

Measure words

件jiàn一件实物
个gè这个实物

Common collocations

实物支付
shí wù zhī fù
payment in kind
实物资产
shí wù zī chǎn
physical assets
实物展示
shí wù zhǎn shì
physical display, show actual items
实物交易
shí wù jiāo yì
barter, trading physical goods

Antonyms

Origin

Compound of 实 (real/solid) and 物 (thing/object), literally meaning 'real thing' or 'solid object', emphasizing tangible existence.