Japanese Conversation · Level 112
60 words
Japanese word
原油
Pronunciation
Romajigen'yu
Meaning
- nouncrude oil
Example
原油の価格が上がっています。gen yu no ka kaku ga a ga tte i ma su
The price of crude oil is rising.
More examples
日本は原油の多くを海外から輸入しています。nihon wa gen yu no ō ku o kai gai ka ra yu nyū shi te i ma su
Japan imports much of its crude oil from overseas.
Core concept
Describes petroleum as it is taken from the ground, before refining separates it into useful products.
Common phrases
原油の価格gen yu no ka kaku
price of crude oil
原油を輸入するgen yu o yu nyū su ru
import crude oil
原油を精製するgen yu o sei sei su ru
refine crude oil
Definition in Japanese
地下から採取したままの、精製前の石油。chi ka ka ra sai shu shi ta ma ma no sei sei mae no seki yu
Word origin
The Sino-Japanese word 原油 (gen'yu) combines 原 (gen, "original") with 油 (yu, "oil"), linking the idea of original oil to its unrefined state.
Usage tips
- News reports often use crude by itself to mean crude oil, especially when describing changes in global oil prices.