万金油 (wàn jīn yóu) — (figurative) jack-of-all-trades, master of none; someone who can do a bit of everything but isn't an expert; (literal) balm, medicated ointment

Definition

Literally a medicated balm (like Tiger Balm); figuratively, a 'jack-of-all-trades, master of none' — someone who dabbles in everything but excels at nothing. The figurative sense is what you'll see in modern writing.

noun
(figurative) jack-of-all-tradesmaster of nonesomeone who can do a bit of everything but isn't an expert(literal) balmmedicated ointment

Examples

  • 万金油，，。
    Tā zài gōng sī lǐ jiù shì gè wàn jīn yóu, shén me dōu huì yì diǎn, dàn shén me dōu bù jīng.
    He's a jack-of-all-trades at the company — knows a bit of everything but isn't an expert at anything.
  • ，万金油，。
    Zhè ge ruǎn jiàn gōng néng hěn duō, dàn yǒu rén shuō tā shì wàn jīn yóu, méi yǒu hé xīn jìng zhēng lì.
    This software has many features, but some say it's a jack-of-all-trades with no core competitiveness.
  • 万金油，。
    Lǎo yí bèi de rén jiā lǐ cháng bèi wàn jīn yóu, tóu téng nǎo rè jiù mǒ yì diǎn.
    Older generations always kept balm at home — they'd rub a bit on for headaches or minor fevers.

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.

万金ten thousand gold
万wànten thousand金jīngold
偏正Modifier + head
油yóuoil

万金, worth ten thousand gold, describes the precious 油, an ointment.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 萬; 万 is its simplified writing.

For 万, the form 萬 was originally a picture of a scorpion, later borrowed for its sound to write 'ten thousand'; the scorpion picture is unrelated to that number.

Open 万 →

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

金 was drawn with marks for two pieces of metal, along with a part that gave its sound; it first meant copper, then metals and gold.

Open 金 →

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

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.

Open 油 →

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