材料

• 拼音: cái liào
• 汉字拆解: 材 = 木 (wood) + 才 (talent, phonetic) — timber, material; 料 = 米 (rice) + 斗 (dipper) — to measure grain, matter

含义

Material; ingredient; data. Refers to raw materials, cooking ingredients, or documentary evidence.

A versatile noun with three main uses: (1) physical materials for construction or manufacturing (建筑材料); (2) ingredients for cooking (准备材料); (3) documents, information, or data for a report or application (申请材料). Context determines which sense is intended.

例句

1. 做这道菜需要准备很多材料。
2. 他正在收集写论文需要的材料。
3. 这种建筑材料既便宜又结实。

用法指南

语境: cooking, work, construction, academic

语气: neutral

正确说法

• 请把申请材料准备好。(Please prepare the application materials.)
• 这个材料很适合做家具。(This material is very suitable for making furniture.)

错误说法

• 用'材料'代替'原料'在工业语境中 (In industrial contexts, don't always use 材料 where 原料 is more precise — 原料 specifically means raw materials before processing, while 材料 is broader)

起源与历史

材 originally meant 'timber' or 'talent' (wood that can be shaped); 料 means 'to measure' or 'grain/matter'. Together they refer to raw matter that can be used for a purpose.

文化背景

世代: All ages

社会背景: Universal