油

• Reading: あぶら
• Romaji: abura
• Kanji breakdown: 油 (yu/abura) — oil
• Pronunciation: /a.bɯ.ɾa/

Meaning

Oil; cooking oil; petroleum. Liquid fat used for cooking, lubrication, or fuel.

A noun referring primarily to liquid oils — cooking oil (サラダ油), petroleum (石油), and other liquid fats. Distinguished from 脂 (also あぶら) which refers to solid animal fat. Common expressions include 油を売る (to idle/waste time, literally 'to sell oil') and 油断 (carelessness). Essential vocabulary for cooking and daily life.

Examples

1. フライパンに油を引いてください。 Please coat the frying pan with oil.
2. 天ぷらには新しい油を使ったほうがいい。 It's better to use fresh oil for tempura.
3. 油断していると失敗するよ。 If you let your guard down, you'll mess up.

Usage Guide

Context: cooking, daily life, idioms

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Old Japanese. The kanji 油 combines the water radical 氵 with 由 (reason/origin), originally referring to liquid extracted from plants or animals.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal