vật lý

Level ≈B2 (approx.) noun Sino-Vietnamese Top 5,000 most common

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Syllables · tones

vậtheavynặng lýrisingsắc

Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →

vật lý means physics.

Also spelled vật lí — same word, same meaning.

Chinese characters: 物理 (物 “thing” + 理 “workings”)

Meanings of vật lý in English

Noun

physics ≈ vật lí học lí

Example sentences with vật lý

Tôi không nghĩ vật lý là một môn học thú vị. I don't think physics is an interesting subject.
Thầy vật lý không để ý đến việc lên lớp của tôi. My physics teacher doesn't care if I skip classes.
Giáo viên vật lý của tôi không quan tâm nếu tôi bỏ tiết học. My physics teacher doesn't care if I skip classes.

Bilingual example sentences from Tatoeba (tatoeba.org, CC BY 2.0 FR).

Etymology

Sino-Vietnamese word from 物理, composed of 物 (“thing”) and 理 (“workings”), Japanese 物理 (butsuri, “physical; naturalist”), Middle Chinese 物理 (“workings of things”). In Japanese, sometimes used in contrast with 心理 (shinri, tâm lí, “psychological; intellectual”), as one of the two types of scientific disciplines. Compare sinh lí (“physiology”, literally “workings of life”) and địa lí (“geography”, literally “workings of the earth”).

Frequently asked questions

What does vật lý mean in English?

vật lý (noun) means "physics".

How do you pronounce vật lý?

Tones: vật — heavy tone (nặng), lý — rising tone (sắc).

Is vật lý a Sino-Vietnamese word?

Yes. vật lý is a Sino-Vietnamese word from the Chinese characters 物理.

Meanings, pronunciation and etymology from English Wiktionary (wiktionary.org, via kaikki.org; CC BY-SA 4.0), reviewed and edited; example sentences from Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR). IPA shown for three accents: Hanoi (Northern), Huế (Central) and Saigon (Southern). The Listen button uses your browser's Vietnamese voice, for reference only. Levels are approximate, estimated from word frequency. Spotted a mistake? Let NgonNgu know.