油 (yóu) - oil & grease

油Tone 2

yóu ｜ 8 strokes ｜ radical: 氵

咏与

油 · yóu

oil;

grease;

petroleum;

oily;

greasy;

glib;

cunning;

to apply oil or paint.

oilgreasepetroleum

Usage highlights

Cooking oilGasolineOil paintingOil fieldGreaseOil spill

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • 水— water (opposite of oil in nature)
  • 干— dry (opposite of oily)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • Cooking oil (食用油) is essential for frying.
  • The car needs motor oil (机油).
  • Oil painting (油画) is a popular art form.
  • Gasoline (汽油) prices are rising.

Collocations

  • Cooking oil(食用油)
  • Gasoline(汽油)
  • Oil painting(油画)
  • Oil field(油田)
  • Grease(油脂)
  • Oil spill(漏油)

Idioms

  • Add fuel to the fire(火上浇油)
  • Oily and slick(油头滑脑)
  • Be fed up with(油然而生)
  • Be tired of(油盐不进)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Historically, oil was extracted from plants and animals for lighting, cooking, and lubrication.
  • In modern context, it strongly associates with petroleum industry and energy resources.
  • Metaphorically used to describe slick, glib, or cunning behavior in Chinese culture.

FAQ