物
thing · object · matter
Details
Stroke Order
Cultural Context
Etymology
Composed of cow and phonetic. Various colored cows, diverse things.
Symbolism
Goods, animal, person. Represents all that exists.
Component Breakdown
cow + 勿
Words & Expressions
Four-Character Compounds
天地万物
てんちばんぶつ
the whole creation; everything in heaven and earth
物見遊山
ものみゆさん
going on a pleasure jaunt
物情騒然
ぶつじょうそうぜん
unrest prevailing; turmoil reigning
事々物々
じじぶつぶつ
everything; every affair (matter); all things
物々交換
ぶつぶつこうかん
barter; bartering
格物致知
かくぶつちち
gaining a perfect knowledge of natural laws
物議騒然
ぶつぎそうぜん
tumultuous public discussion; noisy public criticism
万物流転
ばんぶつるてん
all things are in a state of flux; everything is constantly changing
玩物喪志
がんぶつそうし
forgetting one's serious objectives by becoming engrossed in trivial pursuits; being distracted by trivial objects and losing sight of one's original goal
人物月旦
じんぶつげったん
character sketch; comments on personalities
Poetry
月みれば 千々に物こそ 悲しけれ 我が身ひとつの 秋にはあらねど
Looking at the moon, a thousand sorrows crowd in, though the autumn is not mine alone.
しのぶれど 色に出でにけり わが恋は 物や思ふと 人の問ふまで
I hid it, and yet it has shown in my face; my love, until people ask me what is on my mind.
あひ見ての のちの心に くらぶれば 昔は物を 思はざりけり
Compared with how my heart feels now, after meeting you, I had no idea before what longing was.
風をいたみ 岩うつ波の おのれのみ くだけて物を 思ふころかな
Like a wave driven hard by the wind, breaking itself against the rock, I alone am shattered by these thoughts.
みかきもり 衛士のたく火の 夜は燃え 昼は消えつつ 物をこそ思へ
Like the fire the palace guards keep, blazing at night and dying by day, so my thoughts burn and fade.
長からむ 心も知らず 黒髪の 乱れてけさは 物をこそ思へ
I do not know whether your heart will last, and this morning my black hair is as tangled as my thoughts.
夜もすがら 物思ふころは 明けやらで 閨のひまさへ つれなかりけり
All night long in this season of brooding, dawn will not come; even the gap in the shutters is unkind.
嘆けとて 月やは物を 思はする かこち顔なる わが涙かな
Is it the moon that tells me to grieve? No. And yet my tears run as though I could blame it.
人もをし 人も恨めし あぢきなく 世を思ふゆゑに 物思ふ身は
I find people dear, and I resent them, because I think this world a bitter, pointless place and brood on it.
Anime & Manga
物語シリーズ
Monogatari Series
'Story' itself is the title. A dialogue drama of aberrations and a boy.
化物語
Bakemonogatari
A well-known work with 物 in its Japanese title.
となりの怪物くん
My Little Monster
A well-known work with 物 in its Japanese title.
偽物語
Nisemonogatari
A well-known work with 物 in its Japanese title.
干物妹！うまるちゃん
Himouto! Umaru-chan
A well-known work with 物 in its Japanese title.
Games
牧場物語
Story of Seasons(1996)
Developer: Marvelous
Slow-life 'story' of farm life.
View on Amazon →Other kanji with the same meaning
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 物 mean in Japanese?
物 means thing, object, matter.
How do you read 物?
On'yomi: ブツ、モツ (BUTSU, MOTSU). Kun'yomi: もの、もの- (mono, mono).
How many strokes does 物 have?
物 has 8 strokes. Its radical is 牛 (cow).
Is 物 a good kanji for a tattoo?
物 is one of the kanji most often chosen for tattoos. It means thing, object, matter. Read the full meaning and cultural background on this page first — some popular choices are deliberately dark.