橄欖油 / 橄榄油
gaam³ laam² jau⁴
The Cantonese phrase for "olive oil" is 橄欖油 / 橄榄油 (gaam³ laam² jau⁴). If unsure, use 橄欖油 / 橄榄油. Wiktionary also lists 生菜油 (saang¹ coi³ jau⁴).
Meaning: oil pressed from olives (noun)
Ways to say it
| Cantonese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 橄欖油 / 橄榄油 | gaam³ laam² jau⁴ | |
| 生菜油 | saang¹ coi³ jau⁴ | Macau |
The term is used to describe oil pressed from olives. You may also encounter the specific term 初榨橄欖油 to refer to extra virgin olive oil.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 橄欖油 is composed of 橄欖, meaning "olive" and 油, meaning "oil".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Macau, the term 生菜油 is sometimes used to refer to olive oil.
How do you pronounce it?
gaam³ laam² jau⁴
Did you know?
- While 橄欖 is used for olives, it also refers to the native Chinese olive, which is a different species and often eaten pickled with salt.
- The character 油 in 橄欖油 can also mean 'grease' or 'fuel', and is used in common Cantonese idioms to describe someone who is overly smooth or slippery in conversation.
- The term 生菜油 used in Macau literally translates to 'lettuce oil', which might confuse someone looking for a fruit-based oil.
Example sentences for Cantonese are not verified yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “olive oil” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
