材 — “material” in Japanese

Grade 4ざい

Radical ⽊ · radical 75 The building block this kanji is filed under

“material” in Japanese is 材, read zai (ざい). It is a Grade 4 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 4 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 素材 (material).

Try it now

What does 材 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	材
Meaning	material
Readings	ざい
Grade	Grade 4 (Upper)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	素材 (material)

How to read 材

材 is read zai (ざい) depending on the word.

Words with 材

材料ざいりょう
素材そざい

Learn 材 in real sentences — free

Read stories and news built from only the kanji you already know. KanjiSchool’s path covers all 2,136 Jōyō kanji — 1,018 ready to learn now.

Start free — no credit card →

Kanji read the same way as 材

Same sound, different character — the classic trap. Compare them side by side:

Read this character in a real sentence

Updated: 2026-08-28