物体

• Reading: ぶったい
• Romaji: buttai
• Kanji breakdown: 物 (butsu) — thing, object; 体 (tai) — body, substance, form
• Pronunciation: /bɯt.tai/

Meaning

Object; body; physical entity. A tangible thing that occupies space.

A noun used in physics and general contexts for any physical object that has mass and occupies space. More technical and formal than もの (mono, thing). Common in physics discussions and mystery/sci-fi contexts. Common collocations include 飛行物体 (hikou buttai, flying object), 未確認物体 (mikakunin buttai, unidentified object), and 物体の運動 (buttai no undou, motion of an object).

Examples

1. 物体は重力によって地面に引き寄せられる。 Objects are pulled toward the ground by gravity.
2. 暗闇の中に黒い物体が見えた。 A dark object could be seen in the darkness.
3. 物体の速度と方向を正確に測定した。 The speed and direction of the object were measured precisely.

Usage Guide

Context: physics, science, mystery

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Sino-Japanese: 物 (butsu, thing/object) + 体 (tai, body/substance). Literally 'thing-body' — a physical entity with mass and form.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal