鉱物

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 鉱物, read こうぶつ, combines ore or mine 鉱 with substance 物 as a natural-material class name.
• Basic usage: It denotes a naturally occurring inorganic substance with characteristic properties, as in 岩に含まれる鉱物.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Scope and context
  • Unlike a general stone 石 or rock 岩石, it is a classificatory term for a constituent material of rocks.