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Kotomora

材

lumber, log, timber, wood, materials, ingredients, talent

JLPTN2StatusJōyō · grade 4FrequencyTop 1,000Strokes7

Readings

On'yomi

  • ザイ

Kun'yomi

—

Nanori

  • き
  • さい

Meaning

材 centers on raw material with potential: lumber, timber, or wood as a physical substance, and by extension any ingredient or material that can be shaped into something useful. The talent sense is a natural metaphor for a person's raw ability waiting to be developed.

Most common words using 材

20 of 205
  • 素材そざい
    N2

    ingredient; (raw) material; resource

  • 取材しゅざい
    N2

    gathering material (for an article, novel, etc.); collecting information; covering (an event, incident, etc.); reporting; interview (for a news story)

  • 材料ざいりょう
    N4

    materials; ingredients

  • 人材じんざい
    N2

    capable person; talented person

  • 材ざい

    wood; lumber; timber

  • 食材しょくざい

    foodstuff; ingredient

  • 機材きざい

    machinery and materials; equipment

  • 教材きょうざい
    N1

    teaching materials

  • 題材だいざい

    subject; theme

  • 資材しざい

    (raw) material

  • 木材もくざい
    N2

    lumber; timber; wood

  • 原材料げんざいりょう

    raw materials; ingredients

  • 材質ざいしつ

    material

  • 逸材いつざい
    N1

    outstanding talent; person of exceptional talent; gifted person

  • 建材けんざい

    building material

  • 材木ざいもく
    N2

    wood (for building); lumber; timber

  • 部材ぶざい

    component; part; material; member

  • 石材せきざい

    (building) stone

  • 画材がざい

    subject matter of a painting

  • 鋼材こうざい

    steel material

Explore all words using 材 →

Study

Etymology

材 combines 木 (tree, wood) with 才, which likely contributes the sound and the idea of raw material or ability. The character originally referred to usable timber and later extended to materials and talent.

Meaning mnemonic

A tree (木) with potential (才) is lumber waiting to become something: 材 is raw material, whether wood or a person's talent.

Reading mnemonic

For ザイ, imagine a lumberjack shouting 'ZAI!' as he chops a log: ZAI -> ザイ, and the log is raw timber.