加油

• Pinyin: jiā yóu
• Hanzi breakdown: 加 (jiā) — to add; 油 (yóu) — oil, fuel

Meaning

Come on!; keep it up!; to refuel. An encouraging cheer or the act of adding fuel.

Most commonly used as an exclamation of encouragement, like 'you can do it!' Also literally means to add oil or fuel, as at a gas station. One of the most frequently used cheering expressions in Chinese.

Examples

1. 加油！你一定能做到！ Come on! You can definitely do it!
2. 比赛的时候大家都在喊加油。 During the competition, everyone was cheering.
3. 车没油了，我们去加油吧。 The car is out of gas — let's go refuel.

Usage Guide

Context: encouragement, sports, everyday

Tone: energetic, positive

Do Say

• 明天考试，加油！(The exam is tomorrow — good luck!)
• 加油，快到了！(Keep going — we're almost there!)

Don't Say

• 不要在别人很难过的时候只说加油 (When someone faces a serious difficulty, just saying 加油 may sound dismissive — offer real support or comfort)

Origin & History

Compound of 加 (to add) and 油 (oil, fuel). Originally meant to refuel, later adopted as an encouraging cheer — the metaphor of adding fuel to keep going.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal