German · Food & Drink

"Oil" in German: Öl

das Öl

Say it: urlneuter · das Ölnoun/øːl/

Oil in German is das Öl, neuter. Cooking often means Olivenöl. Say etwas Öl in die Pfanne.

Frying

Gib etwas Öl in die heiße Pfanne.
Put a bit of oil in the hot pan.
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How to pronounce Öl

Say it

url

/øːl/

url / øːl. Ö like e in her with rounded lips. Clear l.

"Oil" in German: quick reference

GermanEnglish
das Öloil

Default.

Olivenölolive oil

Kitchen staple.

Pflanzenölvegetable oil

Neutral cooking oil.

Öl und Essigoil and vinegar

Salad.

How to use Öl in real life

  1. 1Frying

    Gib etwas Öl in die heiße Pfanne.

    Put a bit of oil in the hot pan.

    Öl.

  2. 2Salad

    Das Öl fürs Dressing steht neben dem Essig.

    The oil for the dressing is next to the vinegar.

    Das Öl.

  3. 3Shopping list

    Wir brauchen noch Öl und Salz.

    We still need oil and salt.

    Öl.

Mistakes English speakers make with Öl

Incorrect: der Öl

Correct: das Öl

Öl is neuter.

Incorrect: Olivenöl alone when teaching Öl

Correct: das Öl / etwas Öl

Olivenöl is a compound; use Öl itself for the headword.

Good to know

German kitchens lean on Olivenöl and neutral Pflanzenöl. At tables, Öl und Essig often arrive as a pair for salads.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Starting a stir-fry

  1. ChatPal

    Ist die Pfanne heiß?

    Is the pan hot?

  2. You

    Ja. Ich gebe Öl hinein.

    Yes. I'm adding oil.

  3. ChatPal

    Nicht zu viel Öl, sonst spritzt es.

    Not too much oil, or it'll spit.

  4. You

    Okay. Ein Löffel Öl reicht.

    Okay. A spoon of oil is enough.

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"Oil" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Oil" in German

How do you say oil?

Das Öl.

Olive oil?

Olivenöl.

Gender?

Neuter: das Öl.

Oil and vinegar?

Öl und Essig.

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