Translation guide
Refers to the type of paint made with oil, or the act of painting with it. Japanese distinguishes between the paint medium and the painting technique.
The physical paint made from pigment and oil, used by artists.
The act of painting with oils, or a painting done in oils.
Oil-based paint used for houses, furniture, etc. (not artist's paint).
油絵 (abura-e) is the painting or artwork; 油絵の具 (abura-e no gu) is the physical paint. Saying 油絵を買う would mean buying a painting, not the paint tubes.
Standard term for oil paint as a material. Literally 'oil picture pigment'.
油絵の具を買いに行く。
I'm going to buy some oil paints.
Variant without the の, often used in product names or technical contexts.
この油絵具は発色が良い。
This oil paint has good color development.
Refers to oil painting as an art form or a finished work. Literally 'oil picture'.
彼女は油絵を習っている。
She is learning oil painting.
この油絵は19世紀の作品だ。
This oil painting is a 19th-century work.
More formal or technical term for oil painting, often used in art contexts. Can refer to the technique or the medium.
油彩で風景を描く。
I paint landscapes in oils.
Specifically oil-based house paint. ペンキ is a loanword from Dutch 'pek' (paint).
油性ペンキは乾くのに時間がかかる。
Oil-based paint takes time to dry.
More technical term for oil-based paint/coating.
この油性塗料は金属に適している。
This oil-based paint is suitable for metal.