油

The Chinese character 油 (yóu) for "oil" is composed of two parts: the radical 氵(shuǐ) for "water" and the phonetic component 酉 (yǒu). The radical 氵indicates that the character is related to water, while the phonetic component 酉 provides a clue to its pronunciation.The character 油 originally meant "fat" or "grease", and it was used in ancient Chinese texts to refer to animal fats and vegetable oils. Over time, the meaning of the character expanded to include petroleum and other mineral oils.The character 油 is also used in a number of Chinese idioms and proverbs. For example, the idiom 油嘴滑舌 (yóu zuǐ huá shé) means "to be glib-tongued" or "to talk smoothly", while the proverb 民以食为天，食以油为先 (mín yǐ shí wéi tiān, shí yǐ yóu wéi xiān) means "food is the most important thing for people, and oil is the most important thing for food".The character 油 is a common character in Chinese, and it is used in a wide variety of contexts. By understanding the etymology of the character, HSK learners can gain a deeper understanding of its meaning and usage.