Meet 油 in the kitchen, at the fuel pump and in art. Learn each reading as part of a complete word.
The idea
油 has 8 strokes; use the linked diagram for their order. Alone it is あぶら; in 石油 and 醤油 it is ゆ. 油絵 is read あぶらえ.
| Japanese word | Reading | Example in context |
|---|---|---|
| 油 | あぶら | I put oil in the pan. |
| 石油 | せきゆ | The price of petroleum has risen. |
| 醤油 | しょうゆ | Please add a little soy sauce. |
| 油絵 | あぶらえ | I bought oil paint. |
Examples
- 油をフライパンに入れます。I put oil in the pan.
- この料理にはオリーブ油を使います。This dish uses olive oil.
- 石油の価格が上がりました。The price of petroleum has risen.
- 醤油を少し加えてください。Please add a little soy sauce.
- 油絵の具を買いました。I bought oil paint.
- 車に給油してください。Please fill the car with fuel.
Read-aloud uses a synthetic Japanese voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.
No Japanese device voice is available. You can still read the text and use the linked listening resources.
Watch out
醤油 means soy sauce, not cooking oil, despite the character 油. Do not confuse 油 with 由: 油 has the water component on the left.
Try it yourself
Write the reading of 油 in hiragana.
Show answer or example answer
あぶら
油 is あぶら on its own, as in putting oil in a pan.
Write the reading of 石油 in hiragana.
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せきゆ
石油 is せきゆ, meaning petroleum; learn the compound together.
Choose the missing kanji: 醤＿（しょうゆ）［油／由］.
Show answer or example answer
油
油 completes 醤油（しょうゆ）, the word for soy sauce.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Japanese sentences where available. We keep your score.
Write the reading of 油 in hiragana.
Write the reading of 石油 in hiragana.
Choose the missing kanji: 醤＿（しょうゆ）［油／由］.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
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Write 油 following the diagram. Cover the table, read 石油 and 醤油, then make a sentence with one.