Translation guide
The English word 'oil' covers a wide range of substances, from cooking oils to petroleum to lubricants. In Japanese, different words are used depending on the type and context. This guide helps you choose the right Japanese expression for each meaning.
Edible oil used for frying, dressing, etc.
General term for oil, including cooking oil. Often used in compounds like サラダ油 (salad oil) or てんぷら油 (tempura oil).
フライパンに油をひいてください。
Please put oil in the frying pan.
このドレッシングはオリーブ油を使っています。
This dressing uses olive oil.
Specifically 'edible oil'. More formal or technical than 油 alone.
食用油の値段が上がっています。
The price of cooking oil is rising.
Oil as a natural resource or fuel, such as crude oil, gasoline, or kerosene.
Petroleum, crude oil. Used for the resource and its derivatives like gasoline and plastics.
日本は石油を輸入に頼っています。
Japan relies on imports for oil.
石油価格が変動しています。
Oil prices are fluctuating.
Crude oil, specifically unrefined petroleum.
Oil used to lubricate machinery, engines, or moving parts.
Lubricating oil. Technical term, but commonly understood.
エンジンに潤滑油をさしてください。
Please add lubricating oil to the engine.
Machine oil. Often used for sewing machines, bicycles, etc.
ミシンに機械油を注します。
I apply machine oil to the sewing machine.
In casual contexts, 油 can refer to lubricating oil, but it's ambiguous. Use with context.
Oil-based paint used in art.
Oil paint (the material). Often shortened to 油絵 (oil painting).
油絵の具で風景を描きました。
I painted a landscape with oil paints.
Oil painting (the medium or artwork). More formal/artistic term.
Concentrated plant extracts used for fragrance, massage, or aromatherapy.
Essential oil. Common in aromatherapy contexts.
ラベンダーの精油をアロマディフューザーに入れます。
I put lavender essential oil in the aroma diffuser.
Natural oil produced by skin or hair, or cosmetic oils.
Sebum, the oily substance produced by skin. Used in skincare contexts.
皮脂の分泌が多いとニキビができやすいです。
If sebum secretion is high, you're prone to acne.
Oil content/moisture. Used for skin or hair oil balance.
Hair oil, a cosmetic product.
油 is a broad term for any oily liquid, including cooking oil, machine oil, and even petroleum in casual speech. 石油 specifically means petroleum/crude oil. When talking about energy resources or fuel, use 石油. For cooking, use 油 or 食用油. For lubricants, 潤滑油 is precise, but 油 is often enough in context.
この料理には油が必要です。
This dish needs oil.
石油ストーブを使っています。
I use an oil heater.
The loanword オイル is common in product names (e.g., ヘアオイル, クレンジングオイル) and some contexts like engine oil (エンジンオイル), but it's not a universal replacement for 'oil'. For cooking oil, 油 is standard; for petroleum, 石油. Overusing オイル can sound unnatural or overly commercial.
エンジンオイルを交換しました。
I changed the engine oil.
石油価格が上昇しています。
Oil prices are rising.
野菜を油で炒めてください。
Fry the vegetables in oil.
この絵は油彩で描かれています。
This painting is done in oils.
We import crude oil from the Middle East.
I oiled the bicycle chain.
This oil painting is a 19th-century work.
Loanword from English. Widely understood, especially in beauty and wellness.
このエッセンシャルオイルはリラックス効果があります。
This essential oil has a relaxing effect.
This lotion replenishes oil.
洗髪後にヘアオイルをつけます。
I apply hair oil after washing my hair.