Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 成分 | seibun | [se̞ːbɯ̟̃ɴ] (narrow) |
| 食材 | shokuzai | [ɕo̞kɯ̟za̠i] (narrow) |
| 具材 | guzai |
In Japanese, the term you choose depends on whether you are discussing chemical makeup, general food materials or the specific solid components within a dish.
What does it mean word for word?
成分 is composed of 成 (to become/constitute) and 分 (part/portion). 食材 is composed of 食 (eat/food) and材 (material/resource).
Which one should you use?
成分 is used for chemical components or constituents in a substance, such as the ingredients listed on a nutritional label or a chemical formula. 食材 refers to food ingredients in a general sense, often used when discussing the raw materials or the quality of food items themselves. 具材 refers specifically to the solid ingredients or 'fillings' that go into a dish, such as the vegetables in a soup or the toppings on a pizza.
How do you pronounce it?
seibun
Did you know?
- The kanji 材 found in 食材 and 具材 is the same character used for 'lumber' or 'timber'. This reveals a cultural linguistic pattern of treating food as a raw building material to be crafted.
- Japanese has a specific word for the 'ingredients' used in a traditional medicine recipe, called 生薬 (shōyaku). This refers specifically to crude drugs derived from plants, animals and minerals.
- When ordering 'topping' ingredients for things like takoyaki or okonomiyaki, Japanese speakers use 具 (gu), a shortened version of 具材. This tiny word refers specifically to the 'heart' or 'substance' of the dish.
Examples in context
- トマトは生でも、煮ても、焼いてもおいしい食材です。Raw, simmered, or grilled, tomatoes are a delicious ingredient.This sentence shows how to describe tomatoes as a delicious 食材.Tatoeba #892989 by bunbuku, translation #6039689 by peterius
- この製品の主要な成分は何ですか？Kono seihin no shuyōna seibun wa nan desu ka?What is the main ingredient in this product?
Example conversation
At a cosmetics shop, checking a product's label.
- 美咲 Misakiこの化粧水の成分を教えてください。Kono keshōsui no seibun o oshiete kudasai.Please tell me the ingredients in this lotion.
- 陽太 Yotaはい、保湿成分がたっぷり含まれています。Hai, hoshitsu seibun ga tappuri fukumarete imasu.Yes, it contains plenty of moisturizing ingredients.
- 美咲 Misaki敏感肌でも大丈夫な成分ですか？Binkanhada demo daijōbu na seibun desu ka?Are the ingredients safe for sensitive skin?
- 陽太 Yotaもちろんです。とても優しい成分ですよ。Mochiron desu. Totemo yasashii seibun desu yo.Of course. They are very gentle ingredients.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ingredient” translations and entries 成分, 食材, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
