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添油加醋

Mandarin · pinyin tiān yóu jiā cù

(lit.) to add oil and vinegar (idiom)
(fig.) to embellish; to exaggerate (a story, a narration etc)

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Characters in this entry

添: tiān · append, add to; increase
油: yóu · oil, fat, grease, lard; paints
加: jiā · add to, increase, augment
醋: cù · vinegar; jealousy, envy

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

1–2–1–4 · tian1 you2 jia1 cu4

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading

tim1 jau4 gaa1 cou3

Pleco · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Word reading; meanings not aligned.

Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

phrase

(figurative) to add color and emphasis to (a narration); to exaggerate

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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