1.
raw materials; ingredients
The basic materials from which a product is manufactured or processed. Refers to materials that undergo significant transformation in the production process.
Distinguished from 材料, which can refer to materials that keep their form in the finished product (like wood in furniture), while 原料 typically refers to materials that are chemically or physically transformed (like grapes into wine). Also distinguished from 素材, which emphasizes the inherent qualities of a material.