Chinese word

材料

Pronunciation

Pinyincái liào

Meaning

  • nouningredient

Example

做蛋糕需要很多材料。zuò dàn gāo xū yào hěn duō cái liào

You need a lot of ingredients to make a cake.

Illustration for 材料 (ingredient)

More examples

申请签证时要按要求提交材料。shēn qǐng qiān zhèng shí yào àn yāo qiú tí jiāo cái liào

When applying for a visa, submit the documents as required.

Core concept

The substance or information that supplies what a making, creative, or practical task needs.

Common phrases

  • 提交材料tí jiāo cái liào

    submit documents

  • 提供材料tí gōng cái liào

    provide materials

  • 需要材料xū yào cái liào

    need materials

Similar words

原料yuán liào: A natural substance used before it is processed into a product.
成分chéng fèn: A chemical or material element contained in and helping make up something.
部件bù jiàn: A separate part designed to be attached to a machine or product.

Definition in Chinese

构成产品或作品所需的原料、素材或成分，口语中也可泛指为做某事所准备的资料。gòu chéng chán pǐn huò zuò pǐn suǒ xū de yuán liào sù cái huò chéng fèn kóu yǔ zhōng yě kě fàn zhǐ wèi zuò mǒu shì suǒ zhǔn bèi de zī liào

Word origin

材 (cái, "useful material") originally centered on timber, while 料 (liào, "material set aside for use") refers to what is prepared, so 材料 (cáiliào, "material") names useful inputs broadly.

Usage tips

  • When 材料 (cáiliào, "material") refers to cooking items in a recipe, a quantity expression such as 一些 (yìxiē, "some") or 一包 (yì bāo, "one packet") makes the amount clear.

Other meanings

  • raw materialnoun
  • componentnoun
  • reference materialnoun
  • materialnoun

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word