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How to Say "petroleum" in Spanish

English → Spanish

petróleo

nounB2technical
Use 'petróleo' when referring to crude oil as a raw substance, especially in economic or industrial contexts like its price or extraction.

Examples

El precio del petróleo subió esta semana.

The price of oil went up this week.

aceite

ah-SAY-teh/aˈsejte/

nounA1general
While 'aceite' primarily means 'oil' for cooking or mechanical use, it can occasionally refer to crude oil, though 'petróleo' is far more common and precise for this meaning.
A clear glass bottle filled with golden cooking oil, sitting next to a small ceramic bowl on a wooden counter.

Examples

El barco transportaba miles de barriles de aceite crudo.

The ship was transporting thousands of barrels of crude oil.

Necesito un poco de aceite de oliva para la ensalada.

I need a little olive oil for the salad.

El coche necesita un cambio de aceite pronto.

The car needs an oil change soon.

Este aceite corporal huele a lavanda.

This body oil smells like lavender.

Always Masculine

Even though it ends in '-e', 'aceite' is always a masculine word, so you use 'el' or 'un' with it: 'el aceite'.

Uncountable Noun

'Aceite' is usually uncountable, like water or sugar. To measure it, you need a container: 'una botella de aceite' (a bottle of oil).

Using the wrong article

Mistake: “La aceite es saludable.”

Correction: El aceite es saludable. (Remember, 'aceite' is masculine: 'el'.)

Confusing 'aceite' and 'petróleo'

Learners often mistakenly use 'aceite' for crude oil because it's a more basic vocabulary word. However, for the specific substance of crude oil, especially in news or business contexts, 'petróleo' is the correct and preferred term.

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