oil, fat, grease, lard

JLPT N2 8 strokes

Words with this Kanji

Meaning and Usage

The character (yóu) primarily means 'oil' or 'fat' and is used to refer to cooking oils, vehicle fuel, and bodily oils such as skin oil. It is a common noun in everyday conversation.

Common Collocations

  • (chǎocài yóu): cooking oil, used when talking about oil for frying or cooking.
  • 汽车 (qìchē yóu): car fuel, often shortened to just in casual speech.
  • 皮肤 (pífū yóu): oily skin, describing skin that produces excess sebum.

Usage Notes

When talking about fuel for vehicles, can mean gasoline or diesel depending on context. In cooking, it usually refers to edible oils like vegetable or peanut oil. When describing skin, implies excess oiliness which can lead to acne.

Common Confusions

Don't confuse with 油炸 (yóuzhá), which means deep-fried. alone refers to the substance, not the cooking method.

Summary

Use to talk about oils in food, fuel for vehicles, and oily substances on the body. It is a versatile noun appearing in many daily contexts related to liquids that are oily or greasy.

Example Sentences

You need to add a little oil when stir-frying.

The fuel in this car is almost used up.

His skin is oily and prone to acne.