Chinese word

油腻

Pronunciation

Pinyinyóu nì

Meaning

  • adjectivegreasy

Example

这菜太油腻了，我吃不下。zhè cài tài yóu nì le wǒ chī bú xià

This dish is too greasy for me to eat.

Illustration for 油腻 (greasy)

More examples

这道菜有点油腻，可以配点青菜。zhè dào cài yóu diǎn yóu nì ké yǐ pèi diǎn qīng cài

This dish is a little greasy, so you can pair it with some greens.

Core concept

A heavy, oily coating that becomes hard to tolerate, in food or in an overdone style.

Common phrases

  • 很油腻hěn yóu nì

    very greasy

  • 有点油腻yóu diǎn yóu nì

    a little greasy

  • 不油腻bù yóu nì

    not greasy

Similar words

腻nì: So rich or cloying that the taste soon becomes unpleasant.
油yóu: Oily on the surface and likely to feel greasy or sticky.
肉麻ròu má: Excessively sweet words or manners that cause discomfort.
做作zuò zuò: Behaving or speaking in an unnatural way that seems put on.

Definition in Chinese

指食物油脂较多，吃后感觉油滑、难以继续进食；引申为内容或举止过于冗长、显得做作或令人反感。zhǐ shí wù yóu zhī jiào duō chī hòu gǎn jué yóu huá nán yǐ jì xù jìn shí yǐn shēn wèi nèi róng huò jú zhǐ guò yú rǒng cháng xiǎn de zuò zuò huò lìng rén fán gǎn

Word origin

油 (yóu, "oil") + 腻 (nì, "cloying or greasy") connects visible oiliness with the unpleasant fullness caused by too much of it, then extends that reaction to styles that feel forced.

Usage tips

  • In everyday conversation, the word can criticize a speech, advertisement, or manner as overly elaborate and insincere, so it signals disapproval rather than simple length.

Opposites

Related words

  • 油腻腻yóu nì nìvery greasyadjective
  • 油腻味yóu nì wèigreasy tastenoun

Word lists with this word