油

油 icon

oil, grease

油 is composed of the radical 水 (water) and 由 (reason). 由 originally depicted a liquid congealing into fat, meaning oil. Later, as the meaning of 由 shifted to other meanings, the liquid radical 水 was added to create the new character 油 to specifically denote this liquid.

Vocabulary of 油

  • 油畫 (oil painting)
  • 油庫 (fuel depot)
  • 石油 (petroleum)

Related Characters: