oil
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- 1 oil
- 2 fuel、gasoline
This everyday word covers both oils used for cooking, machinery, or personal care and liquid fuel used in vehicles. Its specific meaning usually comes from the context or a following modifier.
oil
An oily liquid used for purposes such as cooking, lubrication, or personal care.
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ใส่น้ำมันนิดหน่อย sày nám man nít nɔ̀ɔy Add a little oil. ใส่น้ำมันนิดหน่อย details
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ทอดด้วยน้ำมัน thɔ̂ɔt dûay nám man Fry it in oil. ทอดด้วยน้ำมัน details
fuel、gasoline
Liquid fuel put into a vehicle or machine, including gasoline and diesel.
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เติมน้ำมัน təəm nám man Fill up with fuel. เติมน้ำมัน details
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น้ำมันหมดแล้ว nám man mòt lɛ́ɛw We're out of fuel. น้ำมันหมดแล้ว details
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น้ำมันแพงขึ้น nám man phɛɛŋ khʉ̂n Fuel has become more expensive. น้ำมันแพงขึ้น details
Learning notes
Explanation
น้ำมัน is formed from น้ำ (“liquid” or “water”) and มัน (“fatty” or “oily”), and its core image is an oily liquid. What it means by itself depends on the situation. In a kitchen, ใส่น้ำมัน usually means “add cooking oil,” while เติมน้ำมัน in the context of a vehicle means “fill up with fuel.” A modifier can identify the type, as in น้ำมันมะกอก (“olive oil”) or น้ำมันดีเซล (“diesel fuel”). It is normally treated as a mass noun. Quantities are expressed with a unit, as in น้ำมันหนึ่งลิตร (“one liter of oil/fuel”).
Usage
It is common when discussing cooking and frying, filling up a car or motorcycle, and fuel prices. With an added modifier, it is also used for vehicle maintenance, cosmetics, massage, and aromatherapy.
Caution
น้ำมัน alone can be ambiguous between oil and fuel. When the context is unclear, specify the type, such as น้ำมันพืช (“vegetable oil”) or น้ำมันเบนซิน (“gasoline”). To describe food as greasy or fatty, มัน is normally used instead, as in อาหารมัน.
Differences from similar words
1 oil synonyms
2 fuel synonyms
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เชื้อเพลิง is the general term for fuel and includes wood, coal, and gas. น้ำมัน in this sense specifically refers to liquid fuel, especially fuel for vehicles.