How do you say "oil" in Japanese?

油

abura

Noun Kanji

In Japanese, "oil" is 油 (abura).

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Pronunciation

油 is written using kanji. Romanised as abura, it sounds roughly like "ah-boo-rah" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

Abura is a common kanji for oil, used in cooking contexts and fuel terminology. It is a foundational kitchen vocabulary word.

Example sentence

冷蔵庫に油が入っています。

Reizoko ni Abura ga haitte imasu.

There is oil in the fridge.

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How to remember 油

The kanji 油 has water radical on left (oils are liquid like water) plus a character suggesting fat. Slippery, glossy oil.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

See more supermarket words.

Questions about 油

How do you pronounce 油?

油 is romanised as abura. Say it roughly like "ah-boo-rah" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is 油 formal or casual?

油 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.

How is 油 written in Japanese?

油 is written using kanji. Abura is a common kanji for oil, used in cooking contexts and fuel terminology.

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

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"Oil" in other languages

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