Japanese Conversation · Level 45
90 words
Japanese word
粘土
Pronunciation
Romajinendo
Meaning
- nounclay
Example
子どもたちは粘土で動物を作ります。ko do mo ta chi wa nen do de dō butsu o tsuku ri ma su
The children make animals with clay.
More examples
陶芸では、粘土を薄く伸ばして器の形を整えます。tō gei de wa nen do o usu ku no ba shi te utsuwa no katachi o totono e ma su
In pottery, clay is rolled out thinly to shape a vessel.
Core concept
Refers to a soft earthy material that can be shaped by hand and hardened into a lasting form.
Common phrases
粘土をこねるnen do o ko ne ru
knead clay
粘土で作るnen do de tsuku ru
make with clay
粘土を焼くnen do o ya ku
fire clay
Definition in Japanese
水分を含み、手で自由に形を作れる土。また、それを用いた造形材料。sui bun o fuku mi te de ji yū ni katachi o tsuku re ru tsuchi ma ta so re o mochi i ta zō kei zai ryō
Word origin
粘 (nen, "sticky") combines with 土 (do, "earth") to form 粘土 (nendo), literally describing earth with a sticky quality.
Usage tips
- In Japanese, 粘土 (nendo) can mean both natural clay and clay used for modeling, while English often specifies modeling clay for the latter.
Related words
- 粘土質nendoshitsuclayeyna-adjective