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).
Please put oil in the frying pan.
This dressing uses olive oil.
Specifically 'edible oil'. More formal or technical than 油 alone.
The price of cooking oil is rising.
Oil as a natural resource or fuel, such as crude oil, gasoline, or kerosene.
Oil used to lubricate machinery, engines, or moving parts.
Lubricating oil. Technical term, but commonly understood.
Please add lubricating oil to the engine.
Machine oil. Often used for sewing machines, bicycles, etc.
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.
Concentrated plant extracts used for fragrance, massage, or aromatherapy.
Essential oil. Common in aromatherapy contexts.
I put lavender essential oil in the aroma diffuser.
Natural oil produced by skin or hair, or cosmetic oils.
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.
This dish needs oil.
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.
I changed the engine oil.
Oil prices are rising.
Fry the vegetables in oil.
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.
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.