Definition
油 (yóu) is the general noun for 'oil' — cooking oil, motor oil, petroleum. It's not used as an adjective for 'fat' (that's 胖 for people, 肥 for animals/meat). 石油 (shí yóu) specifically means 'petroleum, crude oil' and is a compound of 油 + 石 (stone).
noun
oilfatpetroleum
Easily confused
- 抽chōulook-aliketo draw out, to pull out (from in between)
- 有yǒusound-aliketo have, to possess
- 庙miàolook-aliketemple (Buddhist or Taoist)
- 又yòusound-alike(adverb) again (of a past or habitual action)
- 届jièlook-alike(classifier) for periodic events (meetings, competitions, elections) and graduating classes
- 由yóusound-alike(preposition) by (indicating the agent or doer of an action)
- 右yòusound-alikeright side; right (direction)
- 游yóusound-aliketo swim
Examples
- 油。Qǐng bāng wǒ mǎi yì píng yóu.Please help me buy a bottle of oil.
- 。Wǒ de chē xūyào jiā yóu.My car needs to refuel.
- 油。Zhè zhǒng yóu kěyǐ yòng lái chǎo cài.This kind of oil can be used for stir-frying.
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