What Does 加油 (jiāyóu) Mean in Chinese?
Reviewed context lessonVery common
Keep it up / You can do it / Come on
Quick answer: What does 加油 mean?
加油 — A versatile encouragement phrase used for exams, sports, work, performances, and difficult moments.
✓You can do it!
✓Keep it up!
✓Come on!
✓Good luck — keep going!
What Chinese people actually mean
加油 literally relates to adding fuel, but in everyday speech it is a general expression of encouragement.
Tone and formality
Encouraging and supportive; it can sound awkward if the listener needs sympathy instead.
Common in informal speech and public encouragement.
Chinese characters
Open each character to see its own meanings and vocabulary links.
Real conversations
1 · Before an exam
A: 我明天考试。
wǒ míngtiān kǎoshì.
A: I have an exam tomorrow.
B: 加油！你可以的。
jiāyóu! nǐ kěyǐ de.
B: You’ve got this! You can do it.
2 · During a race
A: 我快跑不动了。
wǒ kuài pǎo bu dòng le.
A: I can barely keep running.
B: 加油！快到了！
jiāyóu! kuài dào le!
B: Keep going! You’re almost there!
How to pronounce 加油
加油
Tap to hear Mandarin.
jiā1st tone →
yóu2nd tone ↗
When to use it
✓Use it before or during a challenge: an exam, race, performance, difficult task, or ongoing effort. It can encourage one person or a group.
✓A natural response is 谢谢，我会努力的 (xièxie, wǒ huì nǔlì de), “Thanks, I’ll do my best.” A brief 谢谢 can also be enough.
✓If you share the challenge, 一起加油 (yìqǐ jiāyóu), “Let’s both keep at it,” returns the encouragement.
✓After a task is finished, 辛苦了 may better acknowledge the effort. 加油 can still fit if the person has further challenges ahead.
✓Choose the English meaning from context: “You can do it,” “Keep going,” or “Come on.” At a petrol station, 加油 can literally mean to refuel.
Sources and editorial note
Base dictionary data: CC-CEDICT · CC BY-SA 4.0.Context lesson: Original Real Chinese launch content.