油乎乎 (yóu hū hū) — oily and sticky; greasy (describing a physical… | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Reduplicated bound form meaning 'oily and sticky / greasy' (a physical state), used as a vivid descriptive phrase like 油乎乎的. Implies a lingering, messy residue, stronger than plain 油.

bound form

oily and stickygreasy (describing a physical state)

Examples

油乎乎。
Tā de shǒu shàng quán shì yóu hū hū de jī yóu.
His hands were covered in greasy engine oil.
油乎乎，。
Zhè pán zi yóu hū hū de, xǐ dōu xǐ bù gān jìng.
This plate is so greasy it won't wash clean.
油乎乎，。
Chú fáng qiáng bì mō qǐ lái yóu hū hū de, gāi dǎ sǎo le.
The kitchen walls feel greasy; they need to be cleaned.

Origin

Derived word

构词法gòucífǎ

后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

乎乎

油 (oil) and 乎乎 together suggest a sticky, oily state.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

氵由油

Meaning part形符xíngfú

氵Written in full as水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

由

由yóu油yóu

Same sound today

油 is built from 氵, a water part, and 由, which supplies the sound.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

丂丂kǎobranch

The old 乎 paired an element for wind or air with 丂, a branch used as a sound part, and was the original form of the word for 'to call; to cry'.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

丂丂kǎobranch

The old 乎 paired an element for wind or air with 丂, a branch used as a sound part, and was the original form of the word for 'to call; to cry'.

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