How to say "powder" in Japanese

• パウダーCommon
  nounCovers powder as a cosmetic or personal-care product, such as face powder or protein powder. A loanword with a light, product-oriented feel, typically for substances sold or used as powder.
• 粉こなJLPT N3approx.Common
  nounThe everyday word for any finely ground dry substance — flour, dust, powder in general. Use this when talking about powdery material itself rather than a commercial product.
  この小麦こむぎは粉こなにされる。↗

  This wheat is made into flour.
• 火薬かやくCommon
  nounOnly covers the gunpowder sense of 'powder'. Never use it for ordinary powdery substances; it refers specifically to explosive material used in firearms or fireworks.
  火薬かやくは注意ちゅうい深ふかく扱あつかわなければならない。↗

  Gunpowder needs to be handled very carefully.
• 末まつCommon
  noun (suffix)Denotes powder in the sense of finely ground particles, mainly in technical, medical, or written contexts. For everyday speech about powder, 粉 is usually the better choice; 末 is relatively uncommon on its own.

Use 「パウダー」 for cosmetic-style powder, 粉 for everyday powdered substances like flour, 火薬 only for gunpowder, and 末 chiefly in technical or written contexts for finely ground powder.

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

• パウダーpowder
• 粉こなflour
• 火薬かやくgunpowder
• プードルpowder
• 粉体ふんたいpowder
• 微粉びふんpowder
• 粉薬こなぐすりpowdered medicine
• 白粉おしろいwhite makeup powder
• お粉おこなwhite makeup powder
• 末まつpowder
• 打ち粉うちこpowder (for polishing, dusting, etc.)