matériau
/ma.te.ʁjo/
The English word "material" is translated into French as matériau.
matériau is used to describe the substance of which something is composed or the substance that can be used to make something.
Meaning: substance of which something composed of or can be made of (noun)
Which one should you use?
While matériau refers to a specific substance used to build or make something, such as wood or steel, the word matière is a more general term for matter or the physical substance of an object.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of matériau is matériaux.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has three syllables and is pronounced /ma.te.ʁjo/.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not confuse matériau with matériel. While matériau refers to a building substance, matériel refers to equipment or tools used to perform a task.
Did you know?
- The singular form matériau is actually a later invention created by mimicking the plural matériaux through a process called analogical levelling.
- The word matière is used in the phrase matière à réflexion, which literally means 'material for reflection' but is used to say something 'gives one food for thought'.
- The word matière is used in French to mean 'subject' in school, such as 'la matière des maths', whereas 'matériau' is strictly for physical substances.
Examples in context
- Ce matériau s'étire facilement.This material stretches easily.This sentence is useful for describing how the matériau stretches.Tatoeba #452319 by sacredceltic, translation #58231 by CK
- Ce matériau manque d'élasticité.This material lacks elasticity.This sentence is useful for noting a lack of elasticity in the matériau.Tatoeba #460808 by sacredceltic, translation #12302166 by Miktsoanit
- Ce matériau est d'une flexibilité remarquable !This material has remarkable flexibility!This sentence is useful for highlighting the remarkable flexibility of a matériau.Tatoeba #10463816 by Julien_PDC, translation #12302168 by Miktsoanit
- Ce matériau est très résistantThis material is very sturdy
- La substance utilisée pour ce projet est très volatileThe material used for this project is highly volatile
- Pour construire cette maison, nous avons besoin de matériaux durablesTo build this house, we need durable materials
- La peinture est un matériau essentiel pour protéger les mursPaint is an essential material to protect the walls
- Le plastique est un matériau courant dans de nombreux domaines scientifiquesPlastic is a common material in many scientific fields
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Emma are choosing a surface for a new table.
- LucasQuel matériau préfères-tu pour la table ?Which material do you prefer for the table?
- EmmaJe pense que le bois est le meilleur matériau.I think wood is the best material.
- LucasC'est vrai, mais c'est un matériau cher.That's true, but it is an expensive material.
- EmmaOn peut chercher un matériau moins coûteux.We can look for a less costly material.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry matériau, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries matériau, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
