藻類

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 藻類(そうるい) refers to algae, such as those found in ponds and the sea.
• Basic usage: It is used for green algae growing in water or algae studied as a source of pigments.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Distinguishing 鳥類 despite Korean homophony
  • 鳥類(ちょうるい), meaning birds, has the same Korean pronunciation as the word for algae. Their Japanese spellings and readings are different.