Meaning and Usage
"无形" literally means "without form" or "formless." It is commonly used to describe things that cannot be seen or touched but have real effects or value, such as intangible assets, invisible forces, or influence.
Common Contexts
You will often encounter "无形" in business contexts referring to intangible assets like patents or goodwill. It also appears in everyday language to describe invisible but impactful forces or influence.
Collocations and Patterns
- 无形资产 (intangible assets): refers to non-physical assets valuable to a company.
- 无形的力量 (intangible force): used to describe invisible but powerful influences.
- 无形影响力 (intangible influence): influence that is not formal or official but effective.
Usage Notes
"无形" emphasizes the absence of physical shape or form. It is different from "看不见" (cannot be seen) because "无形" stresses the lack of any form, not just visibility. Avoid confusing it with "无形中," which means "unconsciously" or "invisibly" as an adverbial phrase.
Use "无形" when you want to highlight the abstract, invisible nature of something that still has real presence or effect.