• 素直すなお — honest / obedient
• 元素げんそ — chemical element
• 素材そざい — material / ingredient
• 素人しろうと — amateur / layperson
• 質素しっそ — simple / modest

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素 originally depicted raw threads or undyed silk, symbolizing something pure, original, or unaltered. That sense of “base form” evolved into broader meanings such as element, personality, and simplicity.