工業

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 工業(こうぎょう) refers to the industrial field of processing materials to manufacture goods.
• Basic usage: It names manufacturing sectors, as in 自動車工業, or indicates industrial use, as in 工業用水.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Narrower than 産業
  • 産業(さんぎょう) is broader, covering fields such as agriculture and commerce as well. 工業 focuses on manufacturing and processing.
• Distinguishing 工場
  • 工場(こうじょう) is a facility where production occurs. Distinguish an industrial field, 工業, from the location of an individual factory.