油腻腻 (yóu nì nì) — greasy, oily (with an intensified, vivid sense)

Definition

Reduplicated adjective painting a vivid, slightly unpleasant 'greasy' feel — stronger and more sensory than plain 油腻.

adjective
greasyoily (with an intensified, vivid sense)

Examples

  • 油腻腻，。
    Zhè wǎn miàn yóu nì nì de, wǒ chī bú xià qù.
    This bowl of noodles is so greasy I can't eat it.
  • 油腻腻，。
    Tā liǎn shàng yóu nì nì de, quán shì hàn hé yóu.
    His face is all greasy, covered in sweat and oil.
  • 油腻腻。
    Chú fáng de yóu yān ràng qiáng bì biàn de yóu nì nì de.
    The kitchen fumes made the walls become greasy.

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.

油yóugreasy
腻腻intense vivid oily
腻nìgreasy腻nìgreasy

油 gives the greasy sense, while 腻腻 intensifies it into a vivid, heavy oily feel.

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.

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 →

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 膩; 腻 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
肉肉ròumeat
Sound part声符shēngfú
貳
貳èr膩nì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 膩 pairs 肉, meat, with 貳 to indicate the pronunciation; the simplified 腻 is a later shorthand.

Open 腻 →

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 膩; 腻 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
肉肉ròumeat
Sound part声符shēngfú
貳
貳èr膩nì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 膩 pairs 肉, meat, with 貳 to indicate the pronunciation; the simplified 腻 is a later shorthand.

Open 腻 →

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