The Meaning of zairyou [材料] In Japanese

材料
ざいりょう
Romaji: zairyou N4

What does 材料 mean?

Translation and Meaning

material, ingredient, raw material

Definition

What does 材料 mean? It denotes the substances and components needed to create something, including raw inputs and ingredients, across contexts like manufacturing, cooking, and design.

Type

Noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Primary sense: materials or ingredients used to make or assemble something.
  • Extended sense: inputs or resources in planning, production, or analysis contexts.

Composition

  • 材: wood, material
  • 料: fee, material
  • Together they denote the materials or ingredients used to create something

Usage

Used across contexts to refer to inputs or substances required to complete a task, from recipes to industrial production; the term is common in manuals, recipes, and neutral technical writing, and it spans everyday cooking to formal manufacturing discussions.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: 材 = wood, 料 = material; think of wood plus the idea of material to remember that 材料 means the materials or ingredients you gather to make something.

Variations

  • 原料 (genryou) raw materials
  • 食材 (shokuzai) ingredients for cooking
  • 資材 (shizai) supplies or materials for equipment

Example Phrases

  • この レシピ は 材料 を 揃えれば 簡単 だ から 作れる。
    Kono reshipi wa zairyō o soroeraba kantan da kara tsukureru.
    If you gather the ingredients, this recipe is easy, so you can make it.
    Lista:
    • この (kono) – this
    • レシピ (reshipi) – recipe
    • は (wa) – topic marker
    • 材料 (zairyō) – ingredients
    • を (o) – object marker
    • 揃えれば (soroeraba) – if you gather
    • 簡単 (kantan) – easy
    • だ (da) – is
    • から (kara) – because
    • 作れる (tsukureru) – can make
    Aqui 「簡単」 funciona como um na-adjetivo; está ligado a だ para dizer ‘é fácil’ e から liga à consequência.
  • 天然の材料を選ぶと味が安定する。
    Tennen no zairyō o erabu to aji ga antei suru.
    Choosing natural ingredients makes the flavor more consistent.
    Lista:
    • 天然 (tennen) – natural
    • 材料 (zairyō) – ingredients
    • 選ぶ (erabu) – to choose
    • 味 (aji) – flavor
    • 安定 (antei) – stability/consistency
    • する (suru) – to do
    In this sentence, 「天然」 functions as a noun used with の to modify 材料, forming 天然の材料 meaning natural/unprocessed ingredients.
  • 今夜の材料を いろいろと スーパーで 買い集めて 夕食を 作る。
    kon’ya no zairyō o iroiro to suupaa de kaiatsumete yuushoku o tsukuru
    I pick up a variety of ingredients at the supermarket for tonight’s dinner.
    Lista:
    • 今夜の材料を (kon’ya no zairyō o) – tonight’s ingredients
    • いろいろと (iroiro to) – variously
    • スーパーで (suupaa de) – at the supermarket
    • 買い集めて (kaiatsumete) – buying up / gathering
    • 夕食を (yuushoku o) – dinner
    • 作る (tsukuru) – make / cook
    The noun 「材料」 means ingredients and is the object of 揃える, here referring to cooking ingredients for tonight.
材料