'物流' (wù liú) literally means 'goods flow' — '物' (wù) means 'thing', 'object', or 'goods', and '流' (liú) means 'flow', 'stream', or 'movement'. Together, they refer to the comprehensive system of planning, implementing, and controlling the movement and storage of goods, services, and related information from origin to consumption. It encompasses transportation, warehousing, inventory management, packaging, and distribution.

This term is widely used in business, e-commerce, supply chain management, and international trade. Unlike everyday vocabulary, 物流 is a formal, technical noun that appears frequently in news reports, corporate documents, and logistics industry contexts. It’s rarely used in casual speech but is essential for understanding modern commerce in Chinese-speaking regions.