Refers to wood as a building material. Often used in compounds like 木材 (もくざい) or 材木 (ざいもく).
この家は良い材で建てられている。
This house is built with good timber.
材を切って棚を作った。
I cut some lumber and made a shelf.
General term for raw materials or ingredients. Common in compounds like 材料 (ざいりょう) or 食材 (しょくざい).
料理に使う材を買いに行く。
I'm going to buy ingredients for cooking.
talent; ability; capable person
Refers to a person's natural aptitude or a person with talent. Often used in compounds like 人材 (じんざい) or 逸材 (いつざい).
彼は将来有望な材だ。
He is a promising talent for the future.
この製品は高品質な材から作られている。
This product is made from high-quality materials.
会社は新しい人材を求めている。
The company is looking for new talent.
材料 is the everyday word for materials or ingredients, while 材 alone is a more formal, compound-forming element with the same idea.
人材 specifically means talented people or human resources, whereas 材 alone is a more abstract term for innate talent.
財 (ざい) means wealth or property, while 材 (ざい) means material or talent despite sharing the same reading.
剤 (ざい) refers to a medicinal agent or preparation, while 材 (ざい) means raw material or talent, so the two are easily mixed up by sound.
Can be used when the timber is counted as long, cylindrical pieces or logs.
ingredient; raw material; resource · unprocessed timber; raw timber · subject matter; topic
gathering material; collecting information; covering an event; reporting; interviewing
materials; ingredients · material; subject matter · grounds; basis; evidence · market factor
capable person; talented individual · human resources; personnel
foodstuff; ingredient
equipment; machinery and materials · materials for manufacturing machinery
teaching materials; educational resources
subject matter; theme; material (for a work)
Standard kanji form for all senses.
The kanji 材 originally depicts a tree (木) and talent/ability (才), suggesting 'useful wood' or 'material with potential'. The reading ざい is the on'yomi.
materials; resources; supplies
lumber; timber; wood as material
material; substance · material quality; quality of material
outstanding talent; gifted person
building material; construction material
lumber; timber; wood (for building)
component; part; material; member
stone; building stone
art supplies; art materials · subject matter of a painting; motif
steel material; steel products
equipment and materials; tools and supplies
lumber sawing; lumber milling
scrap wood; waste wood · waste material; scrap material
squared timber; rectangular lumber
materials; supplies · lumber; timber
wooden board; plank
right person for the job; suitable candidate
filter medium; filter material
log; round timber
main ingredients; chief materials
dry lumber; seasoned timber
ingredient; material