〜材(ざい)

ざい
suffix
material; lumber; talent (suffix)
1. material; wood; ingredient
Suffix attached to a noun to mean the raw material, lumber, or substance used for something. Common in construction, cooking, and manufacturing vocabulary.
この家(いえ)は杉(すぎ)材(ざい)で建(た)てられている。
This house is built with cedar lumber.
建築(けんちく)材(ざい)の価格(かかく)が上(あ)がっている。
The price of building materials is rising.
新鮮(しんせん)な食(しょく)材(ざい)を使(つか)って料理(りょうり)を作(つく)る。
I cook using fresh ingredients.
2. talent; human resource
By extension, a person regarded as a useful asset or human resource, as in 人(じん)材(ざい) (human resources) and 逸(いつ)材(ざい) (an outstanding talent).
当社(とうしゃ)は人(じん)材(ざい)を大切(たいせつ)にしている。
Our company values its people.
彼女(かのじょ)は業界(ぎょうかい)でも逸(いつ)材(ざい)と呼(よ)ばれている。
She is called an exceptional talent even within the industry.
グローバルに活躍(かつやく)できる人(じん)材(ざい)の育成(いくせい)が急務(きゅうむ)だ。
Developing talent who can thrive globally is an urgent need.

Suffix derived from {材} (material). Sense 1 (physical material) is concrete and applies to construction, cooking, and manufacturing. Sense 2 (talent) treats people as a resource and is standard in business and HR contexts.

COMMON COMPOUNDS:

  • 建築(けんちく)材(ざい): building material
  • 食(しょく)材(ざい): food ingredient
  • 木(もく)材(ざい): timber; lumber
  • 素(そ)材(ざい): raw material; subject matter
  • 教(きょう)材(ざい): teaching material
  • 人(じん)材(ざい): human resources; talent
  • 逸(いつ)材(ざい): an outstanding talent
  • 取(しゅ)材(ざい): news gathering (literally 'taking material')

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • 〜料(りょう): ingredient; raw material — 原(げん)料(りょう) raw materials; closer to chemistry/manufacturing
  • 材料(ざいりょう): material; ingredient — stand-alone noun, more general
general
Added 2026.5.29 12:08
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