教材

• Reading: きょうざい
• Romaji: kyouzai
• Kanji breakdown: 教 (kyou) — teach, instruct, religion; 材 (zai) — material, resource, timber
• Pronunciation: /kjoː.za.i/

Meaning

Teaching materials; educational materials. Resources used for instruction and learning.

A noun for any materials used in teaching and education, including textbooks, worksheets, digital content, and audiovisual aids. Common collocations include 教材を作る (kyouzai wo tsukuru, to create teaching materials), デジタル教材 (dejitaru kyouzai, digital teaching materials), and 教材開発 (kyouzai kaihatsu, educational materials development). Broader than 教科書 (kyoukasho, textbook) — 教材 encompasses all types of instructional resources.

Examples

1. 先生がオリジナルの教材を作ってくれた。 The teacher created original teaching materials for us.
2. オンライン教材を使って自宅で勉強できる。 You can study at home using online educational materials.
3. この教材は初心者にもわかりやすく作られている。 These teaching materials are designed to be easy to understand, even for beginners.

Usage Guide

Context: education, teaching, publishing

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Sino-Japanese: 教 (kyou, teach/instruct) + 材 (zai, material/resource). Literally 'teaching materials' — resources used for the purpose of instruction.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal