金型（かながた、kanagata）
- mold

The Japanese word 金型, read かながた (kanagata), refers to a "mold" or "die." It's a crucial component in manufacturing processes used to shape materials, typically through injection molding, casting, or stamping. 金型 determines the final form and features of a product. It can be made from various materials, often metals like steel or aluminum, depending on the application and the material being molded. 金型 are used to create many different items, ranging from plastic parts to metal components, and are essential for mass production.

⚫︎ プラスチック製品を作るために、新しい金型が必要だ。 Translation: We need a new mold to make plastic products. ⚫︎ この金型は金属の部品を大量生産するために使用されます。 Translation: This mold is used to mass-produce metal parts.

This word is primarily used in the context of manufacturing, engineering, and product design. You would use 金型 when discussing the creation of products through molding or die-casting processes. It is common in technical discussions and manufacturing contexts. It is essential when talking about how something is made from a mold.

金型 is typically written in kanji. The reading is かながた in hiragana. There are no common alternative ways to write it or variations in okurigana. It's almost always written in kanji.

⚫︎ 型 (かた - kata): "mold," "form," "type" ⚫︎ 鋳型 (いがた - igata): "mold" (specifically for casting) ⚫︎ ダイス (daisu): "die" (borrowed from English, often used in stamping)

There aren't direct antonyms for 金型, as it is a noun describing a specific tool. The concept of "not using a mold" could be an antonym in the sense of alternative manufacturing methods, but there's no single word that would directly oppose 金型.

この製品は、高品質な金型を使用して作られています。 ・Translation: This product is made using high-quality molds. ・Explanation: This sentence highlights the importance of the quality of the mold in creating a good product.

新しい車の部品の金型を設計する必要があります。 ・Translation: We need to design the molds for the new car parts. ・Explanation: This explains a step in the process of creating the mold.

The word 金型 is composed of two kanji: 金 (きん - kin), meaning "metal" or "gold," and 型 (かた - kata), meaning "mold" or "type." This composition reflects the common materials used to make molds. The "gold" component is not necessarily a reference to actual gold but rather a general reference to metals. The word accurately reflects the main materials of 金型.