# Differentiating 見事 vs 見物 **URL:** \ **Category:** Requesting Help\ **Created:** [April 3, 2024, 9:52pm UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/differentiating-%E8%A6%8B%E4%BA%8B-vs-%E8%A6%8B%E7%89%A9/65415 "2024-04-03T21:52:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![readingrains](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/user_avatar/community.wanikani.com/readingrains/32/433573_2.png) [@readingrains](https://community.wanikani.com/u/readingrains)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2024, 9:52pm UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/differentiating-%E8%A6%8B%E4%BA%8B-vs-%E8%A6%8B%E7%89%A9/65415/1 "2024-04-03T21:52:42Z")
Anyone have tips for differentiating these two? They have completely different meanings but when I see those Kanji I think “see” and “thing” but my issue is that 事 and 物 both mean “thing” so I’m not sure which “see thing” I’m supposed to think of ---
**Author:** ![araigoshi](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/user_avatar/community.wanikani.com/araigoshi/32/585979_2.png) [@araigoshi](https://community.wanikani.com/u/araigoshi)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2024, 10:13pm UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/differentiating-%E8%A6%8B%E4%BA%8B-vs-%E8%A6%8B%E7%89%A9/65415/2 "2024-04-03T22:13:46Z")
This is one where knowing the usual reading of 事 is こと can probably help to map it to 見事。If you read some native content or play some games, 見事 (みごと) is a common exclamation, which should help with the meaning - “sightseeing” is a really weird thing to say when appraising someone’s work. ---
**Author:** ![spaceboy6](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/user_avatar/community.wanikani.com/spaceboy6/32/76915_2.png) [@spaceboy6](https://community.wanikani.com/u/spaceboy6)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2024, 10:34pm UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/differentiating-%E8%A6%8B%E4%BA%8B-vs-%E8%A6%8B%E7%89%A9/65415/3 "2024-04-03T22:34:25Z")
物 has the wing radical 勿. So 見物 is sightseeing because it’s easier if you have wings. ---
**Author:** ![simias](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/user_avatar/community.wanikani.com/simias/32/791573_2.png) [@simias](https://community.wanikani.com/u/simias)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2024, 10:46pm UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/differentiating-%E8%A6%8B%E4%BA%8B-vs-%E8%A6%8B%E7%89%A9/65415/4 "2024-04-03T22:46:49Z")
It’s weird, I never had this issue even though I totally see how that could be a problem. One thing that may or may not be helpful is that 事 is often a more _abstract_ thing, while 物 is usually a _concrete_ thing. An idea, feeling or opinion can be a 事 but I don’t think you would usually refer to them as 物. With that in mind, 見物 is more concrete, it’s actually about seeing stuff. 見事 is more emotional in contrast. ---
**Author:** ![simias](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/user_avatar/community.wanikani.com/simias/32/791573_2.png) [@simias](https://community.wanikani.com/u/simias)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2024, 11:47pm UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/differentiating-%E8%A6%8B%E4%BA%8B-vs-%E8%A6%8B%E7%89%A9/65415/5 "2024-04-03T23:47:58Z")
Also, more generally, this is one of these issues that’s mostly introduced by “artifical” SRS systems like WaniKani since they prompt you about words in a random order out of context. In reality 見事 and 見物 will usually be almost impossible to mix up in context. They’re not even the same part of speech! ---
**Author:** ![anon6600565](https://cdck-file-uploads-global.s3.dualstack.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wanikanicommunity/original/3X/f/d/fd4c154120954695f788402f3bcf4e616499bc2d.png) [@anon6600565](https://community.wanikani.com/u/anon6600565)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2024, 7:12am UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/differentiating-%E8%A6%8B%E4%BA%8B-vs-%E8%A6%8B%E7%89%A9/65415/6 "2024-04-04T07:12:55Z")
Yeah, I agree. Like the SRS is great for helping remember things. But there’s so many pitfalls I can see happening if you don’t already have context for how words get used before learning how they’re written on here. Context sentences sometimes help with that, but often don’t. Like if you’ve ever played the Street Fighter series, Ryu will say 見事だ！ when he’s defeated. Because he’s just an enthusiast for a good fight and thinks it’s genuinely well done when someone bests him. That’s one way to have some basic familiarity with the word ahead of time. Timestamped link of a round loss for example: [![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/original/4X/4/7/4/47489f199254cbb067952334359a560dd4dcc6a4.jpeg "【スト6】ウメリュウ堂々 ウメハラ (リュウ) 【STREET FIGHTER 6】") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCUb824AKXI&t=224) It wouldn’t make much sense if he said 見物だ！ Unless it’s during the flashback in 6 where Chun Li takes him shopping at a tourist shop and buys him a tacky souvenir jacket or something. ---
**Author:** ![andrewrk](https://cdck-file-uploads-global.s3.dualstack.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wanikanicommunity/original/3X/f/d/fd4c154120954695f788402f3bcf4e616499bc2d.png) [@andrewrk](https://community.wanikani.com/u/andrewrk)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2024, 10:59pm UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/differentiating-%E8%A6%8B%E4%BA%8B-vs-%E8%A6%8B%E7%89%A9/65415/7 "2024-08-14T22:59:32Z")
Thanks everyone, I was having the same trouble and reading this thread helped. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/original/4X/6/2/a/62a8b0f4c59ff2c5b6651ffcf43531480b3e5297.png) [@system](https://community.wanikani.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2025, 11:00pm UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/differentiating-%E8%A6%8B%E4%BA%8B-vs-%E8%A6%8B%E7%89%A9/65415/8 "2025-08-14T23:00:26Z")
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