How to say 'Material' in Japanese | 材

Wondering how to say 'Material' in Japanese? You're in the right place!

The Japanese word for Material is 'Zai', written as 材 in Japanese.'Material' in hiragana is ざい.

word

材

Meaning

Material

Reading

ざい

zai

Kanji

材Materials, Timber

Explanation

The Japanese suffix '材 (ざい)' means 'material' and is used to refer to the substance or raw material from which something is made. It is often attached to nouns to specify the type of material being discussed. For example: wood material「木材」(もくざい). building material「建材」(けんざい). This suffix is commonly used in contexts related to construction, manufacturing, or crafting. It can also be used metaphorically to describe something as the 'material' or 'basis' for an idea or concept, though this usage is less common.

Part Of Speech

suffix

Kanji JLPT

Kanji Grade

Frequency

5309

Composition

kanji

Handwriting

Kanji in the Word 材

This word contains 1 kanji character:

kanji

材

Meaning

Materials, Timber

Words Related to 材 Through the Kanji 材

These 5 Words contain the Kanji 材 as well.

word

材料

Meaning

Material, Ingredient

word

人材

Meaning

Talent

word

取材

Meaning

Interview, Coverage

word

材木

Meaning

Lumber

word

素材

Meaning

Material

Learn the Word 材

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What does 'Zai' (材) mean?

'Zai' means 'Material' .

To help you master this word, here's an interactive lesson where you'll practice its readings and meanings.