油污 (yóu wū) — greasy dirt, oily grime | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

greasy dirtoily grime

Examples

油污。
Chú fáng lǐ de yóu wū hěn nán qīng xǐ.
The greasy dirt in the kitchen is hard to clean.
油污。
Tā yòng qīng jié jì qù chú yī fu shàng de yóu wū.
He used detergent to remove the oily stains from his clothes.
油污。
Jī qì shàng jī le hòu hòu yī céng yóu wū.
A thick layer of oily grime has built up on the machine.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

油 gives the oily quality and 污 the dirt, forming oily grime.

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.

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 汙; 污 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

于

于yú汙wū

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 汙 pairs 水 (water) with 于 for the sound; the simplified 污 is a later shorthand.

Appears in

Cleaning & Chores

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