粘土

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 粘土, read ねんど, means clay that can be shaped when moist.
• Basic usage: It is used for making small animals or softening clay that has dried.
  • 子どもは粘土を丸めて小さな動物を作った。

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Homophone 年度
  • 粘土 and 年度 are both read ねんど, but 年度 refers to a year used for purposes such as schooling or accounting.