How to say "clay" in Japanese

• 粘土ねんどCommon
  nounThe ordinary word for clay as a material — soft, moldable earth used in pottery, sculpture, or crafts. This is usually the word you want when saying 'clay' in the physical, workable sense.
  彼かれは粘土ねんどで像ぞうを形作かたちづくった。↗

  He shaped the statue from clay.
• クレーCommon
  nounA loanword for clay, most familiar from tennis, where a クレーコート is a clay court. In everyday talk about modeling or pottery material, 粘土 is the natural choice instead.
• 土つちJLPT N3approx.Common
  nounPrimarily means earth, soil, or dirt; 'clay' is only one of its broader senses. Use it when talking about ground or soil generally, not when you specifically mean clay as a material.
  農家のうかの人ひと達たちは鋤すきで土つちを耕たがやす。↗

  Farmers turn up the soil with plows.
• 陶磁とうじCommon
  nounRefers to ceramics — pottery and porcelain as a category — rather than clay itself. It is not the word for the raw material; reach for it only in discussions of ceramic ware.
• 土製どせいCommon
  nounA descriptive noun-plus-製 form meaning 'made of clay' or 'earthen', as in describing a vessel or figure. It describes what something is made of, not clay the substance itself.

Use 粘土 for actual clay material, 「クレー」 for clay in sports or specialized contexts, 土 only when 'earth/soil' fits, 陶磁 for ceramics as a category, and 土製 for 'made of clay'.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 粘土ねんどclay
• クレーclay
• 土つちearth
• 陶磁とうじclay
• 土製どせいclay
• 粘ねばclay