油
油·oil
- On-yomi
- ユ
- Kun-yomi
- あぶら
By Nihongo PathUpdated
Stroke order
Write it in this order; the numbers mark where each stroke starts.
Common words
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 油 | あぶら | oil |
| 石油 | せきゆ | petroleum, oil |
| 醤油 | しょうゆ | soy sauce |
| 油断 | ゆだん | carelessness, letting your guard down |
Example sentences
フライパンに油を入れます。
ふらいぱんにあぶらをいれます。
I put oil in the frying pan.
醤油を少しかけて食べてください。
しょうゆをすこしかけてたべてください。
Please put a little soy sauce on it and eat.
油断して財布を取られてしまった。
ゆだんしてさいふをとられてしまった。
I let my guard down and had my wallet taken.
Similar-looking kanji
Do not confuse these on the exam.
Common mistakes
- Reading 醤油 as *しょうあぶら; it is しょうゆ
- Taking 油断 literally — it means carelessness, not 'cutting oil'
Memory aid
Picture it
Water (氵) squeezed out of a jar (由) — but the liquid that comes out is oil.
Vocabulary using this kanji
- 醤油しょうゆsoy sauce
- 油断するゆだんするto be careless, to let one's guard down
- 灯油とうゆkerosene, paraffin oil, lamp oil
- 油断ゆだんcarelessness, letting one's guard down, negligence
- 油あぶらoil
- 石油せきゆpetroleum, crude oil, kerosene
- 火に油を注ぐひにあぶらをそそぐto add fuel to the fire
- 油を売るあぶらをうるto loaf, to idle away time
- 油絵あぶらえoil painting
- 原油げんゆcrude oil
Quick check
1 / 2Multiple choiceDifficulty 3 of 5
What does the kanji 油 mean?