混合物
kongōbutsu
The English word mixture is translated into Japanese as 混合物 (kongōbutsu).
混合物 is a term used to describe something produced by mixing two or more constituent elements. It is most commonly found in scientific, technical or formal contexts.
Meaning: something produced by mixing (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of 混合 (mixing or combination) and 物 (thing or object).
Which one should you use?
While 混合物 is a technical term, the colloquial expression 混ざりもの is used when referring to a mixture in more casual, everyday conversation.
How do you pronounce it?
kongōbutsu
Did you know?
- While 混合物 is a neutral technical term, the casual equivalent 混ざりもの often carries a negative connotation of 'impurity' or 'adulteration' in a food or product.
- While 物 means 'thing', its pronunciation shifts from mono to butsu when it appears in technical compounds like 混合物. This phonetic change acts as a linguistic signal that the speaker has entered a formal or scientific register.
- In Japanese cooking, the concept of a mixture is often expressed as 混ぜ合わせ (mazeawase). This term emphasizes the action of mixing rather than the resulting static object.
Examples in context
- 空気は気体の混合物だ。Air is a mixture of gases.This sentence shows how to use 混合物 to describe air as a mixture of gases.Tatoeba #179377 by KK_kaku_, translation #18235 by CK
- 空気はさまざまな気体の混合物である。Air is a mixture of various gases.This sentence demonstrates the use of 混合物 when describing air as a mixture of various gases.Tatoeba #179381 by KK_kaku_, translation #18239 by CK
- この液体は化学的な混合物です。Kono ekitai wa kagakuteki na kongoubutsu desu.This liquid is a chemical mixture.
Example conversation
Two students are looking at a science experiment in a classroom.
- 結衣 Yuiこの混合物は何からできていますか？Kono kongoubutsu wa nani kara dekite imasu ka?What is this mixture made of?
- 大翔 Hiroto結衣さん、これはいくつかの薬品の混合物だよ。Yui-san, kore wa ikutsuka no yakuhin no kongoubutsu da yo.Yui, this is a mixture of several chemicals.
- 結衣 Yui大翔君、実験はとても面白そうですね。Hiroto-kun, jikken wa totemo omoshirosou desu ne.Hiroto, the experiment looks very interesting.
- 大翔 Hirotoそうだね、もっと詳しく見てみよう。Sou da ne, motto kuwashiku mite miyou.You're right, let's take a closer look.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
