油
The Japanese word for oil is 油.
The word 油 refers to liquid fat and is used for both cooking oils and petroleum-based oils.
Meaning: liquid fat (noun)
Did you know?
- The phrase 油を売る, which literally means 'to sell oil', is a common idiom meaning to waste time or dawdle on the job.
- The term 油断 'yudan', meaning 'carelessness', contains the character for 'oil' and originates from the act of letting an oil lamp go out because of a lapse in attention.
- While 油 is the general word for oil, petroleum is specifically called 石油, which literally translates to 'stone oil'.
Examples in context
- 鍋に油入れた？Did you put oil in the pan?This sentence is useful for asking if oil was put into a pan.Tatoeba #9107076 by small_snow, translation #9107064 by CK
- 紙は油を吸うよ。Paper absorbs oil.This sentence is useful for describing how paper absorbs 油.Tatoeba #9785032 by small_snow, translation #9044837 by Amastan
- 少し油を足して。Add a little oil.This sentence is useful for requesting the addition of a little 油.Tatoeba #11885777 by small_snow, translation #10752644 by ddnktr
- この機械にはオイルが必要です。This machine requires oil.
- お料理に油を使いますか？Do you use oil in cooking?
- この自転車のチェーンにオイルが必要だ。This bicycle chain needs oil.
- 70 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ren and Yui are in the kitchen preparing to cook.
- 蓮 Ren新しい油はどこにある？Atarashii abura wa doko ni aru?Where is the new oil?
- 結衣 Yui棚の奥にあるよ。Tana no oku ni aru yo.It is in the back of the shelf.
- 蓮 Renわかった。油を使って炒め物を作るね。Wakatta. Abura o tsukatte itamono o tsukuru ne.Okay. I will use the oil to make a stir-fry.
- 結衣 Yuiお願いね。Onegai ne.Please do.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 油, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
