油
yóu/joʊ̯³⁵/
The English word 'oil' is translated into Chinese as 油 (yóu). If unsure, use 油.
Meaning: liquid fat (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 油 | yóu | /joʊ̯³⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /iəu²¹/ (Mandarin, Chengdu, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 油 | iû | /iu²³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Kinmen, Philippines, Sinological IPA, Kaohsiung, General Taiwanese) /iu¹³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Kinmen, Philippines, Sinological IPA, General Taiwanese) |
Hokkien |
油 refers to liquid fat. For example, to specifically mean 'olive oil', the term 橄榄油 (gǎnlǎn yóu) is used. When you want to use 'oil' as a verb meaning 'to oil something', it is common to pair it with the verb 涂 (tú) to form 涂油.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The form ю is used in Dungan, while the form 油 is used in Hokkien.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is iû. The IPA is /joʊ̯³⁵/.
When do people say it?
The word is part of the common phrase 加油 (jiāyóu), which can mean to refuel a vehicle or to literally 'add oil' to encourage someone (go for it!).
Did you know?
- While 油 is the standard term for oil, the phrase 油嘴滑舌 (yóuzuǐ huáshé) uses 'oil' to describe someone who is slick or glib in their speech.
- In traditional Chinese medicine, the concept of 油 is often linked to the balance of moisture and lubrication within the body's joints and organs.
- The character 油 contains the 'water' radical 氵 on the left, which is a common way to indicate that a word is related to liquids in Chinese writing.
Examples in context
- 他喜欢画油画。He enjoys painting oil paintings.This sentence shows how to use 油 in the context of oil paintings.Tatoeba #10021301 by GlossaMatik, translation #10372368 by DaoSeng
- 油漂浮在水上。Oil will float on water.This sentence illustrates the physical property of the form 油 floating on water.Tatoeba #10696011 by GlossaMatik, translation #324266 by CK
- 你什麼時候才要給門上油?When are you finally going to oil your door?This sentence demonstrates using 油 as an action to oil a door.Tatoeba #3763524 by cienias, translation #4008882 by JSakuragi
- 我需要买一瓶食用油。I need to buy a bottle of cooking oil.
- 请不要将油倒入下水道。Please do not pour oil down the drain.
- 这款香蕉面包加了太多的油脂。This banana bread has too much oil in it.
- 31 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
At a grocery store, Wei is shopping for cooking supplies.
- 伟 Wei這瓶油很貴。zhè píng yóu hěn guì.This bottle of oil is very expensive.
- 雨婷 Yuting那買便宜的油吧。nà mǎi piányi de yóu ba.Then buy the cheap oil.
- 伟 Wei雨婷，你要用哪種油？yǔtíng, nǐ yào yòng nǎ zhǒng yóu?Yu Ting, which kind of oil do you want to use?
- 雨婷 Yuting我想要橄欖油。wǒ xiǎng yào gǎnlǎn yóu.I want olive oil.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “oil” translations and entries 油, 油, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 油, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
