Japanese word

素材

Pronunciation

Romajisozai

Meaning

  • nounmaterial

Example

この布は柔らかい素材です。ko no nuno wa yawa ra ka i so zai de su

This fabric is a soft material.

Illustration for 素材 (material)

More examples

身近な素材で工作を楽しみます。mi jika na so zai de kō saku o tano shi mi ma su

We enjoy making crafts with materials around us.

Core concept

It is the basic substance or source from which something is made.

Common phrases

  • 身近な素材mi jika na so zai

    familiar materials

  • 素材を使うso zai o tsuka u

    use materials

  • 素材を集めるso zai o atsu me ru

    collect materials

Similar words

材料zairyō: A substance used to create an object or prepare food.
原料genryō: A substance obtained for processing into a finished product.
資材shizai: Supplies and physical materials prepared for construction or production.

Definition in Japanese

物を作るために使う、もととなる物質や材料。mono o tsuku ru ta me ni tsuka u mo to to na ru bus shitsu ya zai ryō

Word origin

As a Sino-Japanese compound, 素材 (sozai) combines 素 (so, "raw" or "plain") and 材 (zai, "material" or "resource").

Usage tips

  • In everyday Japanese, the word can describe fabric, cooking ingredients, or source content used to create something, so the context identifies the sense.

Other meanings

  • ingredientnoun
  • resourcenoun

Related words

  • 素材感sozaikantexturenoun

Word lists with this word