The Meaning of mokuzai [木材] In Japanese

木材
もくざい
Romaji: mokuzai N5

What does 木材 mean?

Translation and Meaning

lumber, timber, wood material

Definition

木材 means lumber or timber—the material derived from trees used in construction, carpentry, and manufacturing.

Type

noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Primary meaning as a material: lumber or timber used in building, carpentry, and manufacturing
  • Industrial and technical contexts often refer to 木材 as raw wood material rather than finished wood
  • The term is distinct from 木 (wood in a living or general sense) and from 材木, another common term for timber

Etymology

木 (ki, tree/wood) + 材 (zai, material; lumber) combine to form 木材, a native Japanese compound meaning timber or lumber; there is no foreign loanword involved.

Composition

  • 木: tree/wood—the core semantic field of the word
  • 材: material; timber; the second element specifying the kind of material

Usage

Used in formal, technical, and commercial contexts to refer to the wood material in construction, manufacturing, and supply chain discussions; in casual speech, 木材 is less common and speakers may say 木 or 材木 depending on emphasis.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: visualize the tree 木 as the source and 材 as the material; together they form 木材, the material derived from a tree used in construction.

Variations

  • 材木 (zaimoku) — lumber, timber; common in construction contexts
  • 木質材料 (mokushitsu zairyō) — wood-based material; more technical

Example Phrases

  • 木材を 買って 安い 店を 探して 家の 棚を 作った
    Mokuzai o katte yasui mise o sagashite ie no tana o tsukutta
    I bought lumber and looked for a cheap store to make a shelf for the house.
    Lista:
    • 木材を (mokuzai o) – lumber (object)
    • 買って (katte) – buying (te-form)
    • 安い (yasui) – cheap
    • 店を (mise o) – store (object)
    • 探して (sagashite) – searching
    • 家の (ie no) – home’s
    • 棚を (tana o) – shelf (object)
    • 作った (tsukutta) – made
    ここでは「木材」は材料として使われ、買う動作の対象になる。
木材