A data sending method, comprising: receiving, by a terminal, resource location information that is sent by a network device and that is of a first reference signal and a physical channel, wherein the first reference signal is mapped on a first time-frequency resource, the first time-frequency resource partially or totally overlaps a second time-frequency resource corresponding to the physical channel, and a time-frequency resource corresponding to a part that is in the second time-frequency resource and that overlaps the first time-frequency resource is an overlapping resource; and the terminal skips sending the first reference signal; and the overlapping resource is for sending a second reference signal; wherein the method further comprises sending, by the terminal, a second reference signal on the overlapping resource, and the physical channel on a third time-frequency resource, wherein the third time-frequency resource is a resource in the second time-frequency resource other than the overlapping resource; or the second time-frequency resource corresponding to a symbol in which the overlapping resource is located is an overlapping region, the overlapping region is for sending a second reference signal, and a fourth time-frequency resource in the second time-frequency resource other than the overlapping region is for transmitting the physical channel; wherein the method further comprises sending, by the terminal, the second reference signal in the overlapping region, and the physical channel on the fourth time-frequency resource; wherein the symbol is a DFT-S-OFDM symbol or an OFDM symbol, wherein the second reference signal is orthogonal to the first reference signal. receiving, by a terminal, resource location information that is sent by a network device and that is of a first reference signal and a physical channel, wherein the first reference signal is mapped on a first time-frequency resource, the first time-frequency resource partially or totally overlaps a second time-frequency resource corresponding to the physical channel, and a time-frequency resource corresponding to a part that is in the second time-frequency resource and that overlaps the first time-frequency resource is an overlapping resource; and the terminal skips sending the first reference signal; and the overlapping resource is for sending a second reference signal; wherein the method further comprises sending, by the terminal, a second reference signal on the overlapping resource, and the physical channel on a third time-frequency resource, wherein the third time-frequency resource is a resource in the second time-frequency resource other than the overlapping resource; or the second time-frequency resource corresponding to a symbol in which the overlapping resource is located is an overlapping region, the overlapping region is for sending a second reference signal, and a fourth time-frequency resource in the second time-frequency resource other than the overlapping region is for transmitting the physical channel; wherein the method further comprises sending, by the terminal, the second reference signal in the overlapping region, and the physical channel on the fourth time-frequency resource; wherein the symbol is a DFT-S-OFDM symbol or an OFDM symbol, wherein the second reference signal is orthogonal to the first reference signal.