oil
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oil
A fatty liquid substance obtained from plants (e.g., olive oil, sunflower oil) or animals and used for cooking, cosmetics, or as a lubricant.
Zum Braten von Kartoffeln verwende ich am liebsten Rapsöl.
For frying potatoes, I prefer to use canola oil.
'Öl' (oil) is a very productive base word for many compounds. The first part of the word describes the type or origin of the oil, e.g., 'Olivenöl' (olive oil), 'Motoröl' (motor oil), 'Heizöl' (heating oil), or 'Erdöl' (crude oil/petroleum).
Für den Salat nehme ich immer ein gutes Olivenöl.
I always use a good olive oil for the salad.
The context reveals the meaning: in the supermarket or kitchen, it refers to cooking oil. In the news, with topics like the economy or the environment, crude oil is meant. In a museum or gallery, people are talking about oil paintings.
Gib bitte noch etwas Öl in die Pfanne.
Please add a little more oil to the pan.
The idiom 'Öl ins Feuer gießen' (to pour oil on the fire) means to make a conflict or bad situation even worse through unwise words or actions.
Mit seiner provokanten Bemerkung hat er nur noch mehr Öl ins Feuer gegossen.
With his provocative comment, he only poured more oil on the fire.
In the context of cooking and food, 'Öl' (oil) is often used with verbs such as 'erhitzen' (to heat), 'zugeben' (to add), 'anbraten' (to sauté/fry), or 'anmachen' (to dress, for salad).
Zuerst die Zwiebeln in heißem Öl anbraten.
First sauté the onions in hot oil.
crude oil / petroleum
'das Öl' and 'das Erdöl' can mean the same thing when referring to the fossil raw material. In this sense, 'Öl' is the shorter, more general form. 'Erdöl' is more precise and means the raw material from the earth from which, for example, gasoline or heating oil is made. The words can be confused because 'Öl' can also mean cooking oil or another liquid oil. When the context is energy, industry, or gasoline, 'Erdöl' is especially precise. In the kitchen, you only say 'Öl', not 'Erdöl'.
Der Preis für Öl ist in den letzten Wochen stark gestiegen.
The price of oil has risen sharply in recent weeks.
Aus Erdöl werden Benzin, Diesel und viele Kunststoffe hergestellt.
Gasoline, diesel, and many plastics are made from crude oil.