油

yóu
#946 most
frequent character
oil, fat, grease
noun

Character breakdown

Source: Make Me a Hanzi.

油 pairs 氵 water with 由 yóu, which gives the sound. It first named an ancient river, also called 淯 and now 白河. From water it grew to liquid, then oil, fuel, painting, and slippery.

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Example Sentences

我需要一些油来做饭。
wǒ xūyào yīxiē yóu lái zuòfàn 。
I need some oil to cook.
这个菜里加了很多油。
zhègè cài lǐjiā le hěnduō yóu 。
This dish has added a lot of oil.
油可以使食物更加美味。
yóu kěyǐ shǐ shíwù gèngjiā měiwèi 。
Oil can make food more delicious.

Words with similar meanings

脂肪zhīfáng
fat
脂肪 (fat) is a broader term that can refer to animal or plant fats, while 油 (oil) typically refers to liquid fats used in cooking.
润滑油rùnhuáyóu
lubricating oil
润滑油 (lubricating oil) is used specifically for lubrication, which is a specific function of certain types of oil.

Homophones

HSK 4
由yóu
to follow, from, it is for...to
游yóu
swim, wander, travel, tour
邮yóu
post (office), mail
尤yóu
outstanding, particularly, especially
犹yóu
as if, (just) like, just as, still

Words Starting With 油

油炸yóu zhá
to deep fry
油漆yóu qī
oil paints; lacquer; to paint
油腻yóu nì
grease; greasy food; oily; rich (of food); fatty; greasy and dirty; a slippery character

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