The word 油漆 is formed by combining two characters, each representing a key component of the substance: 油 (yóu), meaning "oil", and 漆 (qī), meaning "lacquer" or the sap of the lacquer tree. Historically, it describes the material created by mixing plant or later mineral oils with tree resin to produce a smooth, protective, and decorative coating. The term thus visually and conceptually blends the liquid base with the film-forming ingredient to name the finished product: paint or varnish.