事 shì — matter; thing; item; work; affair
我有一件事想问你。Wǒ yǒu yí jiàn shì xiǎng wèn nǐ.I have something to ask you.
Common words: 没事儿 (méi shì r)、事情 (shì qing)、故事 (gù shì)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "matter"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "matter", including 事 (shì), 物 (wù), 务 (wù). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "matter" covers 3 different Chinese characters — 事 (shì), 物 (wù), 务 (wù) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 3 characters do not share a sound — their readings span shì, wù — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 事 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 事 shìmatter; thing; item; work; affairUseful words: 没事儿, 事情
- 物 wùthing; object; matterUseful words: 动物, 礼物
- 务 wùaffair; business; matterUseful words: 服务, 服务员
Common words for these 3 "matter" characters
Anchor each of these 3 characters in a word you can picture — start with 事 (shì) — so "matter" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
没事儿méi shì rto have spare time; free from work; it's not important; it's nothing事情shì qingaffair; matter; thing; business故事gù shìold practice动物dòng wùanimal礼物lǐ wùgift; present食物shí wùfood服务fú wùto serve; service服务员fú wù yuánwaiter; waitress; attendant; customer service personnel任务rèn wumission; assignment; task; duty
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 3 ways to say "matter".
物 wù — thing; object; matter
商店里的货物很多。Shāng diàn lǐ de huò wù hěn duō.There are many goods in the store.
Common words: 动物 (dòng wù)、礼物 (lǐ wù)、食物 (shí wù)
务 wù — affair; business; matter
这是我们必须完成的任务。Zhè shì wǒ men bì xū wán chéng de rèn wu.This is the task we must complete.
Common words: 服务 (fú wù)、服务员 (fú wù yuán)、任务 (rèn wu)
All 3 characters
Open 事、物、务 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.