材料
ざいりょう·zairyou
Meaning
ingredient; material; component; raw material
Nuance & Usage
材料 has two main meanings: (1) cooking ingredients (料理の材料 — recipe ingredients), and (2) materials or components used to make something (建築材料 — building materials). In recipes, 材料 lists what you need. Common phrases: 材料をそろえる (gather ingredients), 材料が足りない (run out of ingredients). In the figurative sense, 材料がない means "there's no basis for" (e.g., 判断する材料がない — no basis to make a judgment).
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes confuse 材料 (raw ingredients/materials) with 食材 (shokuzai — food ingredients specifically) and 原料 (genryou — raw materials for manufacturing). In cooking contexts, 材料 and 食材 are largely interchangeable, but 材料 also covers non-food materials. Also: 調味料 (choumiryou — seasonings/condiments) are technically 材料 but referred to separately from the main ingredients in recipes.
Example Sentences (3)
このケーキを作るのに必要な材料を買ってきました。
このけーきをつくるのにひつようなざいりょうをかってきました。
I bought all the ingredients needed to make this cake.
新鮮な材料を使うと、料理の味がぐっとよくなります。
しんせんなざいりょうをつかうと、りょうりのあじがぐっとよくなります。
Using fresh ingredients greatly improves the taste of the dish.
このレシピの材料は全部近くのスーパーで買えます。
このれしぴのざいりょうはぜんぶちかくのすーぱーでかえます。
All the ingredients in this recipe can be bought at a nearby supermarket.
Quick Quiz
Quick Quiz
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