Portuguese · Food & Drink

"Oil" in Portuguese: óleo

o óleo

Say it: OH-leh-oomasculine · o óleonoun/ˈɔ.lew/

Note: olive oil: o azeite

Oil in Portuguese is o óleo for general cooking oil. Olive oil is usually o azeite — a separate everyday word.

Frying

Esquenta um pouco de óleo na frigideira.
Heat a little oil in the pan.
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How to pronounce óleo

Say it

OH-leh-oo

/ˈɔ.lew/

OH-leh-oo. Stress on OH.

"Oil" in Portuguese: quick reference

PortugueseEnglish
o óleothe oil

General / cooking oil.

óleo de soja / girassolsoy / sunflower oil

Types.

o azeiteolive oil

Separate common word.

sem óleono oil / oil-free

Cooking preference.

How to use óleo in real life

  1. 1Frying

    Esquenta um pouco de óleo na frigideira.

    Heat a little oil in the pan.

    Cooking.

  2. 2Shopping list

    Acabou o óleo compra um litro amanhã.

    We’re out of oil — buy a liter tomorrow.

    Household.

  3. 3Salad clarification

    Na salada eu uso azeite, não óleo comum.

    On salad I use olive oil, not regular oil.

    Contrast with azeite.

Mistakes English speakers make with óleo

Incorrect: A óleo acabou.

Correct: O óleo acabou.

Óleo is masculine.

Incorrect: Passa o oil, please.

Correct: Passa o óleo, por favor.

Use óleo (or azeite for olive oil).

Good to know

In Brazilian kitchens óleo usually means neutral cooking oil. Asking for azeite gets you olive oil. Car oil is óleo de motor — different shelf entirely.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Starting a stir-fry

  1. ChatPal

    Pus óleo demais na panela?

    Did I put too much oil in the pan?

  2. You

    Um pouco. Escorre o óleo extra com cuidado.

    A bit. Drain the extra oil carefully.

  3. ChatPal

    Na próxima uso menos óleo e mais alho.

    Next time I’ll use less oil and more garlic.

  4. You

    Perfeito. Eu corto os legumes.

    Perfect. I’ll cut the vegetables.

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"Oil" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Oil" in Portuguese

Óleo vs azeite?

Óleo is general oil; azeite is olive oil.

Gender?

Masculine: o óleo.

No oil?

Sem óleo.

Engine oil?

Óleo de motor.

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