原材料

• Pinyin: yuán cái liào
• Hanzi breakdown: 原 = 厂 + 泉 (original source); 材 = 木 + 才 (wood + talent — material with inherent quality); 料 = 米 + 斗 (grain + measuring container — measured out material, ingredient)

Meaning

Raw materials; primary materials or substances used as inputs in manufacturing or production. Unprocessed or minimally processed substances that serve as the starting point for industrial or commercial processes.

原材料 broadly covers both 原料 (raw materials — basic unprocessed inputs like ore, crude oil, cotton) and 材料 (materials — somewhat processed inputs like steel, fabric, lumber). A key concept in supply chain management, manufacturing economics, and industrial policy. 原材料成本 (raw material costs), 原材料采购 (raw material procurement), and 原材料供应 (raw material supply) are common compound phrases.

Examples

1. 全球大宗商品价格剧烈波动，使出口制造业发达的新兴经济体高度依赖的进口原材料成本和汇率风险一起上升。 Sharp swings in global commodity prices have raised both raw-material costs and exchange-rate risk for emerging economies that rely heavily on imported raw materials in export manufacturing.
2. 在循环经济中，废弃物再生不仅是环保手段，也可替代部分初级原材料，降低制造业对开采资源的依赖。 In a circular economy, waste recycling is not only an environmental measure; it can also replace some primary raw materials and reduce manufacturing's dependence on extracted resources.
3. 新能源汽车快速扩张后，锂、钴、镍等原材料战略价值骤升，各国也加快推进关键矿产本土化供给。 As new energy vehicles expanded rapidly, the strategic value of raw materials like lithium, cobalt, and nickel surged, and countries accelerated local supply strategies for key minerals.

Usage Guide

Context: manufacturing, supply chain, economics, business, industry

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 全球芯片短缺暴露的，不只是产能瓶颈，还有对单一供应商和特定地区原材料供给过度依赖的脆弱性。(The global chip shortage exposed not only production bottlenecks, but also the vulnerability caused by overreliance on a single supplier and raw materials from specific regions.)
• 评估制造企业的可持续风险时，原材料采购来源的集中度、可替代性和议价能力，往往比财报更能看出隐患。(When assessing a manufacturer’s sustainability risks, the concentration, substitutability, and bargaining power of its raw-material sources often reveal hidden risks better than financial statements.)

Don't Say

• 蛋糕的原材料是面粉和糖 — 原材料 is primarily an industrial/commercial term; for cooking use 原料 (raw ingredients) or 食材 (food ingredients) instead; 原材料 in a kitchen context sounds unnecessarily technical

Origin & History

原 (original/primary) + 材 (timber/material — 木tree + 才talent/capability, material with inherent properties) + 料 (material/ingredient — 米grain + 斗measure, measured grain, hence materials). Together: primary/original material inputs.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal