Chinese–EnglishWith examples

材料

cái liào · cai liao

Same in simplified and traditional Chinese

HSK 4

Meaning

CC-CEDICT
  1. (raw) material
  2. data
  3. (fig.) person who has the potential to do the job
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In a conversation

0:18 cartoon

A hammer is not a material

  1. Dengdeng

    我们(wǒmen)要(yào)做(zuò)小(xiǎo)木屋(mùwū)，材料(cáiliào)买(mǎi)好(hǎo)了(le)吗(ma)？

    We're making a little wooden house. Did you buy the materials?

  2. Liangliang

    材料(cáiliào)都(dōu)在(zài)这儿(zhèr)：木头(mùtou)、钉子(dīngzi)、胶水(jiāoshuǐ)。

    The materials are all here: wood, nails, glue.

  3. Dengdeng

    好(hǎo)，开始(kāishǐ)吧(ba)。锤子(chuízi)呢(ne)？

    Good, let's start. Where's the hammer?

  4. Liangliang

    我(wǒ)以为(yǐwéi)材料(cáiliào)里(lǐ)有(yǒu)锤子(chuízi)。

    I thought the hammer was in the materials.

  5. Dengdeng

    锤子(chuízi)不是(bùshì)材料(cáiliào)，是(shì)工具(gōngjù)！

    A hammer isn't a material, it's a tool!

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In a sentence

2 examples
01

用(yòng)优(yōu)质(zhì)材(cái)料(liào)做(zuò)的(de)家(jiā)具(jù)卖(mài)得(de)很(hěn)好(hǎo)。

Furniture made of good materials sells well.

Tatoeba: Chinese by fucongcong · English by CM · CC BY 2.0 FR. Pinyin added or corrected.

02

写(xiě)论(lùn)文(wén)之(zhī)前(qián)，他(tā)收(shōu)集(jí)了(le)大(dà)量(liàng)的(de)参(cān)考(kǎo)材(cái)料(liào)。

Before writing the paper, he collected a large amount of reference material.

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Mainland China stroke order, including traditional characters. Drawing sources & licenses.

The characters

Explore individually
材
cái

material; timber

料
liào

material; stuff

Individual character meanings do not always explain the meaning of a whole word.

Definitions adapted from CC-CEDICT, published by MDBG and its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Pinyin display and entry grouping have been adapted.

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