quality · substance

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: The on readings are しつ, しち, and ち, and the kun reading is たち. It has 15 strokes and relates to quality, substance, and material.
• Basic usage: 品質 is read ひんしつ, and 材質 is read ざいしつ.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• 品質 / 材質
  • 品質 means quality. It is a noun read ひんしつ. It refers to the level of excellence or condition of a product, food, or other item.
  • 出荷前にすべての製品の品質を確認する。 means “We check the quality of every product before shipping.”
  • 材質 means material. It is a noun read ざいしつ. It refers to the material or substance from which an object is made.
  • 箱の裏に材質が表示されている。 means “The material is listed on the back of the box.”