How common it is
材料 appears often in everyday Chinese, so it is worth practicing early and reviewing often.
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Pronunciation focus
Say cáiliào slowly first, then repeat it in a short phrase. Listen for the tone shape.
Usage note
材料在日常生活中经常被用来描述各种物品的物质构成。例如，我们可以说某种家具是由什么材料制成的。
cáiliào zài rìbān shēnghuó zhōng jīngcāng bèi yòng lái miáo shù varong wù de zhíwù chénggòu.
Material is often used in daily life to describe the substance of various items. For example, we can say what material a piece of furniture is made from.
Context note
材料这个词常用于描述物品的构成，比如建筑材料、食品材料等。
cáiliào zhè gè cí cháng yòng lái miáo shù wùpǐn de gòuchéng, bǐrú jiànzhù cáiliào、shípǐn cáiliào děng.
The word material is commonly used to describe the composition of items, such as building materials and food ingredients.
5 examples
这件衣服是由棉布材料制成的。
zhè jiàn yī fu shì yóu mián bù cái liào zhì chéng de。
This piece of clothing is made from cotton fabric.
这个项目需要多种材料。
zhè ge xiàng mù xū yào duō zhǒng cái liào。
This project requires multiple materials.
塑料是制造玩具的重要材料。
sù liào shì zhì zào wán jù de zhòng yào cái liào。
Plastic is an important material for making toys.
家具店出售各种不同类型的材料。
jiā jù diàn chū shòu gè zhǒng bù tóng lèi xíng de cái liào。
The furniture store sells various types of materials.
我们需要更多关于建筑材料的信息。
wǒ men xū yào gèng duō guān yú jiàn zhù cái liào de xìn xī。
We need more information about building materials.
5 mini stories
小明的房间需要重新装修，他去建材市场买了一些材料。
xiǎo míng de fáng jiān xū yào chóng xīn zhuāng xiū， tā qù jiàn cái shì chǎng mǎi le yì xiē cái liào。
Xiaoming's room needs a new renovation, so he bought some materials from the building materials market.
妈妈在厨房里准备晚餐时，发现缺少一些烹饪材料。
mā ma zài chú fáng lǐ zhǔn bèi wǎn cān shí， fā xiàn quē shǎo yì xiē pēng rèn cái liào。
Mom was preparing dinner in the kitchen when she found that she lacked some cooking ingredients.
学校要举办手工活动，老师让同学们带各种手工材料来。
xué xiào yào jǔ bàn shǒu gōng huó dòng， lǎo shī ràng tóng xué men dài gè zhǒng shǒu gōng cái liào lái。
The school is hosting a handicraft activity, and the teacher asked the students to bring various materials for it.
爸爸在修理自行车时，发现缺少一些零件和材料。
bà ba zài xiū lǐ zì xíng chē shí， fā xiàn quē shǎo yì xiē líng jiàn hé cái liào。
Dad was repairing his bicycle when he found that he lacked some parts and materials.
妈妈去超市买菜，看到很多新鲜的食材和烹饪材料。
mā ma qù chāo shì mǎi cài， kàn dào hěn duō xīn xiān de shí cái hé pēng rèn cái liào。
Mom went to the supermarket to buy vegetables, where she saw many fresh ingredients and cooking materials.