格物

Chinese

		frame; rule	thing; object; matter
simp. and trad. (格物)		格	物

Etymology

From the Great Learning (《大學》) in the Book of Rites:

古之欲明明德於天下者，先治其國；欲治其國者，先齊其家；欲齊其家者，先修其身；欲修其身者，先正其心；欲正其心者，先誠其意；欲誠其意者，先致其知，致知在格物。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

古之欲明明德于天下者，先治其国；欲治其国者，先齐其家；欲齐其家者，先修其身；欲修其身者，先正其心；欲正其心者，先诚其意；欲诚其意者，先致其知，致知在格物。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: The Book of Rites, c. 4^th – 2^nd century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Gǔ zhī yù míng míngdé yú tiānxià zhě, xiān zhì qí guó; yù zhì qí guó zhě, xiān qí qí jiā; yù qí qí jiā zhě, xiān xiū qí shēn; yù xiū qí shēn zhě, xiān zhèng qí xīn; yù zhèng qí xīn zhě, xiān chéng qí yì; yù chéng qí yì zhě, xiān zhì qí zhī, zhì zhī zài géwù. [Pinyin]

The ancients who wished to illustrate illustrious virtue throughout the kingdom, first ordered well their own states. Wishing to order well their states, they first regulated their families. Wishing to regulate their families, they first cultivated their persons. Wishing to cultivate their persons, they first rectified their hearts. Wishing to rectify their hearts, they first sought to be sincere in their thoughts. Wishing to be sincere in their thoughts, they first extended to the utmost their knowledge. Such extension of knowledge lay in the investigation of things.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): géwù

(Zhuyin): ㄍㄜˊ ㄨˋ
Cantonese (Jyutping): gaak³ mat⁶

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: géwù
  - Zhuyin: ㄍㄜˊ ㄨˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: géwù
  - Wade–Giles: ko²-wu⁴
  - Yale: gé-wù
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: gerwuh
  - Palladius: гэу (gɛu)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɤ³⁵ u⁵¹/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: gaak³ mat⁶
  - Yale: gaak maht
  - Cantonese Pinyin: gaak⁸ mat⁹
  - Guangdong Romanization: gag³ med⁶
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kaːk̚³ mɐt̚²/

Verb

格物

(literary) to investigate the nature of things; to study the underlying principles

Derived terms

Noun

格物

(obsolete) Alternative name for 格致 (gézhì, “natural science”).