dầu lửa

Người bán hàng rót dầu lửa vào chiếc đèn.

Definition

Noun:
- Kerosene, lamp oil: A flammable hydrocarbon liquid commonly used as fuel for lamps, stoves, and heaters. It is a specific type of refined petroleum product.
- (Less common) Petroleum, crude oil: In some contexts, it can refer to unrefined petroleum, though this usage is less specific than for the refined product.

Usage Examples

Noun:
- Ngày xưa, đèn dầu lửa là nguồn sáng chính trong nhiều gia đình. (In the past, kerosene lamps were the main source of light in many households.)
- Chiếc bếp dầu lửa này vẫn hoạt động tốt. (This kerosene stove still works well.)
- Các mỏ dầu lửa được phát hiện ở vùng biển này. (Petroleum deposits were discovered in this sea region.) [Note: This usage is context-dependent and less precise.]

Advanced Usage

"Đèn dầu lửa": Kerosene lamp. This is a common compound term where "dầu lửa" specifies the fuel type.
- Bảo tàng trưng bày một bộ sưu tập đèn dầu lửa cổ. (The museum displays a collection of antique kerosene lamps.)

Variants and Related Words

Dầu hỏa: This is the more common and standard synonym for "kerosene" in modern Vietnamese. "Dầu lửa" is still understood but may be considered slightly older or regional.
- Mua một lít dầu hỏa cho bếp. (Buy a liter of kerosene for the stove.)
Dầu mỏ: Petroleum, crude oil. This is the precise term for unrefined oil.
- Ngành công nghiệp dầu mỏ rất quan trọng. (The petroleum industry is very important.)
Dầu đốt: Fuel oil (a broader category that can include kerosene and other fuels).

Synonyms

Related Phrases

Đổ dầu lửa vào lửa: Literally "to pour kerosene on fire," meaning to aggravate a situation, to make a bad situation worse (equivalent to "add fuel to the fire").
- Lời nói của anh ấy chỉ như đổ dầu lửa vào lửa. (His words were just like adding fuel to the fire.)

Notes on Usage

The term "dầu lửa" is sometimes used interchangeably with "dầu hỏa", but "dầu hỏa" is the more prevalent term in contemporary usage for "kerosene".
In the provided reference ("dầu lửapétrole lampant"), "pétrole lampant" is French for "lighting petroleum," which is kerosene. This confirms its primary meaning as a refined fuel for illumination and heating, not crude oil.