材料

• Reading: ざいりょう
• Romaji: zairyou
• Kanji breakdown: 材 (zai) — material, timber; 料 (ryou) — materials, fee
• Pronunciation: /za.i.ɾʲoː/

Meaning

Ingredients; materials. Used for cooking ingredients as well as raw materials in general.

A versatile noun that covers both cooking ingredients and craft or construction materials. In a cooking context, it is the standard word for listing what you need for a recipe. Often appears at the top of Japanese recipes under the heading 材料.

Examples

1. カレーの材料を買いにスーパーへ行きました。 I went to the supermarket to buy ingredients for curry.
2. この料理は材料が三つだけで作れます。 You can make this dish with just three ingredients.
3. 材料を全部テーブルの上に準備してください。 Please set out all the ingredients on the table.

Usage Guide

Context: cooking, shopping, crafts

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 材 (timber, material) and 料 (fee, materials). Originally referred to raw timber, later broadened to mean any raw material or ingredient.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal