油腻 yóunì greasy food
greasy food; oily food; (of food) greasy; oily; fatty; (neologism c. 2017) (of a middle-aged man) obnoxious; pretentious; vulgar
How to remember 油腻: 油 oil + 腻 greasy = greasy food.
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How it is used
- Describes food that is heavy with oil/fat - 这道菜太油腻了 (zhè dào cài tài yóunì le) this dish is too greasy, often said when you feel you've eaten too much.
- Since ~2017 it's a viral put-down: 油腻中年男 (yóunì zhōngnián nán) a 'greasy' middle-aged man - smug, pretentious, trying too hard to seem sophisticated.
- So context decides everything: about food it's a literal complaint; about a person it's a sharp, mocking social insult.