timber · material

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 材 has 7 strokes and is associated with materials used to make things or people capable of undertaking work.
• Basic usage: 材料 is read ざいりょう, and 人材 is read じんざい.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Kinds of material and people's abilities
  • 夕食の材料 means ingredients for dinner. The word also covers materials for making things, such as wood and paper in 木や紙など身近な材料.
  • 人材 refers to people with the ability or experience to do a job. 人材を育てる means developing such people.