---
title: "Jiangyou Meaning: 酱油 (jiàngyóu) Means “soy sauce”"
description: "酱油 (traditional 醬油, jiàngyóu) means “soy sauce”. Hear its tones, see what 酱 and 油 each mean and a real sentence that uses it."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/jiangyou"
published: "2026-10-21"
updated: "2026-11-06"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

[What does it mean in Chinese?](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning)

# What does 酱油 mean?

猫头鹰māotóuyīngowl

酱油 jiàngyóu

## soy sauce

## It can also mean

- (slang) (as in 打酱油) being just a bystander

## Its characters

1. 酱 jiàng pickled in soy sauce
2. 油 yóu oil

## In a sentence

炒菜时放一点酱油。 Add a little soy sauce when stir-frying.

[More about 酱油](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E9%85%B1%E6%B2%B9)

## More words with 酱 or 油

- [柴油 cháiyóu](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/chaiyou)
- [打酱油 dǎjiàngyóu](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/dajiangyou)
- [加油 jiāyóu](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/jiayou)
- [加油站 jiāyóuzhàn](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/jiayouzhan)
- [汽油 qìyóu](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/qiyou)
- [燃油 rányóu](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/ranyou)
- [石油 shíyóu](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/shiyou)
- [油腻 yóunì](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/youni)

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