油

• Pinyin: yóu
• Hanzi breakdown: 油 = 氵 (water/liquid radical) + 由 (from/through, phonetic component)

Meaning

Oil. A general term for cooking oil, petroleum, grease, or any oily substance.

Very versatile word used in many contexts: cooking oil (菜油, 花生油), fuel (汽油 — petrol, 加油 — to refuel), oily food (太油了 — too greasy). The expression 加油 literally means 'add oil/fuel' but is used as an encouraging cheer meaning 'go for it!'

Examples

1. 做菜的时候先放一点油。 Add a bit of oil first when cooking.
2. 这个菜太油了，我吃不下。 This dish is too greasy — I can't eat any more.
3. 我们要去加油站加油。 We need to go to the petrol station to refuel.

Usage Guide

Context: cooking, everyday, transport

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 锅里放点油。(Put some oil in the pan.)
• 加油！你一定可以的！(Come on! You can do it!)

Don't Say

• 我喝了一杯油。(Don't say you drink oil — in cooking, you 放油 (add oil) or 倒油 (pour oil), not 喝油.)

Origin & History

Phono-semantic compound: 氵 (water radical, indicating liquid) + 由 (phonetic component). Originally referred to animal fat, later extended to all oils.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal