Japanese symbol for “oil”
油
あぶら
Romaji: abura
oil
In Japanese, oil is 油, read あぶら (abura).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- n oil
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “oil”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 石油 | せきゆ sekiyu | oil; petroleum |
| オイル | オイル oiru | oil; petroleum |
| 引く | ひく hiku | to apply (e.g. lipstick); to oil (e.g. a pan); to wax (e.g. a floor) |
| 差し油 | さしあぶら sashiabura | (lubricating) oil; oiling a machine |
| 油を引く | あぶらをひく aburaohiku | to oil (e.g. a frying pan); to grease |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 石油 | せきゆ sekiyu | oil; petroleum |
| 原油 | げんゆ gen'yu | crude oil |
| 油断 | ゆだん yudan | negligence; carelessness; inattention |
| 醤油 | しょうゆ shouyu | soy sauce; soya sauce; shoyu |
| 灯油 | とうゆ touyu | kerosene; paraffin; lamp oil |
| 油田 | ゆでん yuden | oil field |
See also: Chinese symbol for “oil”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.