原げん料りょう

げ

ん

りょ

う

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

Refers to the material or ingredient from which something is manufactured, processed, or made; common in industry, food production, and product descriptions.

このチョコレートの主おもな原げん料りょうはカカオ豆まめです。
The main ingredient of this chocolate is cacao beans.
プラスチック製せい品ひんの原げん料りょうには石せき油ゆが使つかわれることが多おおい。
Petroleum is often used as a raw material for plastic products.

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Usage patterns

〈物もの〉を原げん料りょうとするto use X as a raw material
このパンは小こ麦むぎを原げん料りょうとしている。
This bread is made using wheat as its raw material.
〈物もの〉の原げん料りょうになるto become the raw material for X
サトウキビは砂さ糖とうの原げん料りょうになる。
Sugarcane becomes the raw material for sugar.
原げん料りょうを輸ゆ入にゅうするto import raw materials
この工こう場じょうは原げん料りょうを海かい外がいから輸ゆ入にゅうしている。
This factory imports its raw materials from overseas.
原げん料りょうを加か工こうするto process raw materials
工こう場じょうで原げん料りょうを加か工こうして製せい品ひんにする。
The raw materials are processed into products at the factory.
原げん料りょうが不ふ足そくするfor raw materials to be in short supply
原げん料りょうが不ふ足そくして生せい産さんが遅おくれている。
Production is delayed because raw materials are running short.

Expressions

主しゅ原げん料りょうprincipal raw material; main ingredient

Kanji

原meadow, original, primitive
料fee, materials

Related words· 7

材ざい料りょうN4
材料 is the broader word for materials or ingredients used in cooking, construction, or any project, while 原料 specifically means the raw source material used to manufacture a product.
原げん材ざい料りょう
原材料 is often used on labels and in business contexts to mean raw materials and ingredients collectively, whereas 原料 is the shorter word focusing on the primary raw material itself.
素そ材ざいN2
素材 emphasizes the texture or character of a material (or source content in creative work), while 原料 emphasizes the input substance before industrial processing.
主しゅ原げん料りょうN2
原料 is the general term for raw materials, while 主原料 specifically names the main or principal ingredient among them.

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材ざい質しつ
原料 refers specifically to unprocessed raw materials used in manufacturing, whereas 材質 can describe the substance or quality of a material at any stage.
マテリアル
原料 specifically means raw material before processing, while マテリアル can refer to any material, processed or not.
資し材ざい
原料 specifically means raw, unprocessed material before manufacturing, while 資材 can include both raw and processed supplies ready for use.

Don't confuse with

減げん量りょうN2
減量 (weight loss) and 原料 (raw materials) are pronounced identically but mean completely different things, so context is essential to tell them apart.

Word family

原げん料りょう乳にゅう
raw milk; unpasteurized milk
原げん料りょう糖とう
raw sugar; unrefined sugar
原げん料りょう費ひ
raw material cost; cost of raw materials
原げん料りょう粉ふん末まつ
base powder; bulk powder

Etymology

A Sino-Japanese compound written with 原, associated with origin or source, and 料, associated with materials or provisions. The spelling transparently reflects the idea of a source material used to make something.