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"Petrolera" is a form of "petrolera", a noun which is often translated as "oil company". "Petrolero" is an adjective which is often translated as "oil". Learn more about the difference between "petrolera" and "petrolero" below.
la petrolera(
peh
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troh
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leh
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rah
)A feminine noun is almost always used with feminine articles and adjectives (e.g., la mujer bonita, la luna llena).
1. (commerce)
a. oil company
La petrolera deberá pagar una multa por el derrame en la costa africana.The oil company will have to pay a fine for the oil spill off the African coast.
petrolero, el petrolero(
peh
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troh
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leh
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roh
)An adjective is a word that describes a noun (e.g., the big dog).
a. oil
Las industria petrolera y la minera reportaron pérdidas este trimestre.The oil and the mining industries reported losses this quarter.
A masculine noun is used with masculine articles and adjectives (e.g., el hombre guapo, el sol amarillo).
2. (nautical)
a. oil tanker
El derrame lo causó un petrolero que chocó contra un iceberg.The spill was caused by an oil tanker that hit an iceberg.
This means that the noun can be masculine or feminine, depending on the gender of the noun it refers to (e.g., el doctor, la doctora).
