crudo
/ˈkɾudo/
The English phrase "crude oil" is translated into Spanish as crudo.
The term is used to refer to unrefined oil.
Meaning: unrefined oil (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word crudo literally means "raw" or "unrefined".
Which one should you use?
The term Petróleo crudo is a more formal way to express crude oil, whereas El oro negro is an informal expression meaning "black gold".
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈkɾudo/
Did you know?
- While crudo means 'raw', it is also used as a slang term in some Spanish-speaking regions to describe the 'hangover' feeling after drinking alcohol.
- When referring to the weather, describing a day as crudo means it is bitterly cold and piercing, rather than just 'chilly'.
- The word crudo shares the exact same Latin ancestor as the English word 'crude', making them direct linguistic siblings.
Examples in context
- La extracción y refinamiento del petróleo crudo es una industria importante a nivel mundialThe extraction and refining of crude oil is an important global industry
- Es necesario analizar el impacto ambiental de la extracción del petróleo en estado naturalIt is necessary to analyze the environmental impact of extracting crude oil in its natural state
- Arabia Saudita es uno de los principales productores de petróleo y su economía se basa en el oro negroSaudi Arabia is one of the main oil producers, and its economy relies on black gold
- El precio del crudo ha subido mucho.The price of crude oil has gone up a lot.
- Necesitamos exportar más crudo este mes.We need to export more crude oil this month.
- Esa empresa extrae crudo del fondo del mar.That company extracts crude oil from the bottom of the sea.
Example conversation
Javier and María are discussing news about the global economy.
- JavierMaría, ¿viste que subió el crudo?María, did you see that crude oil went up?
- MaríaSí, Javier, es una mala noticia.Yes, Javier, it is bad news.
- JavierLa gasolina será más cara.Gasoline will be more expensive.
- MaríaTodo sube cuando sube el crudo.Everything goes up when crude oil goes up.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “crude oil” translations and entries crudo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries crudo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
