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.
ビールの原料は麦とホップだ。
The raw materials of beer are barley and hops.
原料の価格が上がっている。
The prices of raw materials are rising.
この化粧品は天然の原料だけを使って作られている。
This cosmetic product is made using only natural ingredients.
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.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 原料を輸入する: to import raw materials
- 天然原料: natural ingredients
- 原料価格: raw material prices
- 原料不足: shortage of raw materials