器材

• Pinyin: qì cái
• Hanzi breakdown: 器 = 犬 (dog) + 口×4 (vessel/implement — multiple mouths suggest varied containers); 材 = 木 (wood) + 才 (capacity/talent) (timber/material)

Meaning

Equipment; materials; apparatus. Tools, instruments, and materials used for a particular professional, technical, or sporting purpose.

Used for physical equipment in sports, education, military, photography, and professional fields. More general than 器械. 体育器材 (sports equipment), 摄影器材 (photography equipment), 消防器材 (fire-fighting equipment). Implies functional tools rather than furniture or everyday items.

Examples

1. 学校投入大量经费采购了一批先进的实验室器材，为学生的科学实践活动提供了有力的硬件保障。 The school invested heavily in purchasing a batch of advanced laboratory equipment, providing strong hardware support for students’ hands-on science activities.
2. 专业摄影团队在出发前仔细清点并逐一检查了所有器材，确认万无一失后方才登机启程。 Before departure, the professional photography team carefully counted and checked every piece of equipment, and only boarded after confirming everything was in order.
3. 此次登山探险队携带了大量专业器材，包括绳索、氧气瓶、测量仪器及卫星通讯设备。 This mountain expedition team brought a large amount of professional gear, including ropes, oxygen tanks, measuring instruments, and satellite communication equipment.

Usage Guide

Context: sports, science, military, education

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 消防部门定期检查并更新各类应急器材，以确保在紧急情况下能够迅速有效地展开救援。(The fire department regularly inspects and updates all emergency equipment to ensure rapid, effective response in urgent situations.)
• 这批体育器材经专业鉴定后被认定存在安全隐患，已全部下架并通知各使用单位召回整改。(This batch of sports equipment was found to present safety hazards after professional assessment — it has been taken off shelves and all user units notified to return it for rectification.)

Don't Say

• 厨房器材 — while not wrong, 器具/用具/炊具 is far more natural for kitchen tools; 器材 tends toward technical or professional equipment categories

Origin & History

器 (implement/vessel) + 材 (material/timber) — tools and materials needed for a task

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal