King's Kung-Fu& Tai Chi

Japanese symbol for “ingredient”

Romaji: sozai
ingredient; (raw) material; resource

In Japanese, ingredient is , read (sozai).

Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.

Meanings

  1. n ingredient; (raw) material; resource
  2. n unprocessed timber; raw timber
  3. n subject matter; topic

Kanji and stroke order

elementary, principle, naked
on: ソ、ス
kun: もと
10 strokes · JLPT 1
lumber, log, timber
on: ザイ
7 strokes · JLPT 2

Other Japanese words for “ingredient”

WordReadingMeaning
せいぶん seibuningredient; component; composition
げんりょう genryouraw materials; ingredient
もと moto(raw) material; ingredient; base
しょくざい shokuzaifoodstuff; ingredient
たね taneingredient; main ingredient (of a piece of sushi); leaven

Related words

Words that share a kanji.

WordReadingMeaning
ようそ yousoelement; component; factor
すてき sutekilovely; wonderful; charming
しろうと shiroutoamateur; layman; ordinary person
すなお sunaoobedient; meek; docile
さんそ sansooxygen (O)
しゅざい shuzaigathering material (for an article, novel, etc.); collecting information; covering (an event, incident, etc.)
ざいりょう zairyoumaterials; ingredients
じんざい jinzaicapable person; talented person

See also: Chinese symbol for “ingredient”.

Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.

Last posts

  1. Choosing a Bokken with Scabbard for Iaido Beginners
  2. Is a Plastic Saya Worth Adding to a Bokken for Drawing?
  3. Choosing the Best Aikido Bokken for Daily Training
  4. Choosing the Best Heavy Bokken for Suburi Training
  5. Are Bamboo Practice Swords Safer Than Wooden Ones
  6. Choosing the Best Wooden Sword Stand for Your Collection
  7. Why Bokken Crack and Which Woods Handle Impact Best
  8. Best Bokken Bags and Cases for Martial Arts Training
  9. Choosing the Best Wooden Tanto for Realistic Knife Drills
  10. What Is a Suburito and Is It Worth Buying for Strength