Translation guide
The English word 'grease' can refer to cooking fat, mechanical lubricant, or oily dirt. Japanese uses different words depending on the type and context.
Grease from cooking, especially rendered animal fat or oily residue from food.
General word for fat or grease from animals or food. Can also mean oil, but context distinguishes it.
フライパンに脂が残っている。
There's grease left in the frying pan.
この肉は脂が多い。
This meat has a lot of grease/fat.
More commonly 'oil', but can refer to liquid grease or cooking oil. Use 脂 for solid or animal fat.
天ぷらを揚げた後の油を捨てる。
Throw away the oil/grease after frying tempura.
Specifically lard (rendered pork fat). Used in cooking contexts.
ラードで炒めると香ばしい。
It's fragrant when stir-fried in lard.
Thick lubricating substance for machinery, bearings, etc.
Loanword from English, specifically for mechanical grease. Widely understood.
ベアリングにグリースを塗る。
Apply grease to the bearings.
Lubricating oil; more formal/technical. Can refer to oil rather than thick grease.
Alternate spelling of グリース, less common.
グリスを塗ってください。
Please apply grease.
Grease as a dirty, sticky substance on surfaces, hands, or clothes.
Greasy dirt or stain. Common in cleaning contexts.
この洗剤は油汚れによく効く。
This detergent works well on grease stains.
Can also mean greasy dirt, especially from food or skin.
手に脂がついた。
My hands got greasy.
Grease used for styling hair, like pomade.
Pomade; the standard term for hair grease.
彼は髪にポマードをつけている。
He puts grease/pomade in his hair.
Literal 'hair grease', less common than ポマード.
ヘアグリースで髪を整える。
Style hair with hair grease.
To grease someone's palm; to bribe.
Idiom meaning to bribe, literally 'use under the sleeve'.
役人に袖の下を使って許可をもらった。
He greased the official's palm to get the permit.
Bribe; the direct noun. Verb form is 賄賂を贈る (give a bribe).
賄賂を贈って契約を取った。
He greased some palms to get the contract.
脂 (あぶら) typically refers to animal fat or solid grease from food. 油 (あぶら) is more general 'oil', including liquid cooking oil. グリース is specifically mechanical grease. For dirty grease stains, 油汚れ is safest.
グリース is only for mechanical lubricant. Using it for cooking fat sounds unnatural. Use 脂 or 油 instead.
機械に潤滑油を差す。
Apply lubricating oil to the machine.