How to say "man-made" in Japanese

• 人工じんこうJLPT N3approx.Common
  no-adjectiveCovers man-made things produced by human work or skill as opposed to nature, such as an artificial lake or island. Use it for physical objects and environments created by humans rather than by nature.
• 人造じんぞうJLPT N2approx.Common
  no-adjectivePoints to the synthetic, imitation side of man-made: materials made to imitate natural ones. It normally appears within compound words, so on its own it is seldom how you say something is man-made.
  これらの真珠しんじゅは人造じんぞうではなく本物ほんものです。↗

  These pearls are genuine, not artificial.
• 人為的じんいてきCommon
  na-adjectiveDescribes mistakes, errors, or disasters caused by human action rather than natural causes — 'man-made' in the sense of human-caused. It points to human agency behind an outcome, not to a physical object.

Use 人工 for physical things made by human skill, 人造 chiefly in compounds for synthetic or imitation materials, and 人為的 for mistakes, disasters, or other outcomes caused by human action rather than nature.

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

• 人工じんこうartificial
• 人造じんぞうartificial
• 人為的じんいてきartificial