coi4材

Jyutpingcoi4

Yalechòih

語素Common

Definition

Timber, wood, or materials used for making things.

neutralother

How it's used

As a bound morpheme, 材 rarely stands alone in modern spoken Cantonese and is almost always part of a compound word. It carries the nuance of raw material that is ready to be processed or used for a specific purpose, such as building or crafting. When referring to general materials or data, the compound 資料 is far more common than using 材 by itself.

Examples

ni1呢di1啲muk6木coi4材hou2好ngaang6硬zeng6淨。

This timber is very sturdy.

nei5你wan2搵dou3到go2嗰di1啲coi4材mei6未aa4呀？

Have you found those materials yet?

Common phrases

muk6木coi4材

timber

jan4人coi4材

talented person

jyun4原coi4材liu2料

raw material

Common mistake

Learners often mistakenly use 材 as a standalone noun for any kind of material, but it is strictly reserved for physical substances like wood or metaphorical raw talent. For general supplies or items, use 嘢 or 物料 instead.