加油

Chinese

Chinese phrasebook

This entry is part of the phrasebook project, which presents criteria for inclusion based on utility, simplicity and commonness.

FWOTD – 15 November 2014

		to add; plus	oil; sly
simp. and trad. (加油)		加	油
Literally: “to add fuel”.

Etymology

It started to be used as an interjection in the '60s and '70s during the Macau Grand Prix when people start chanting "加油", urging the drivers to step on the gas pedal to increase speed. (Can this⁽⁺⁾ etymology be sourced?)

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): jiāyóu

(Zhuyin): ㄐㄧㄚㄧㄡˊ
Cantonese (Jyutping): gaa¹ jau^4-2
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): kâ-yù

(Meixian, Guangdong): ga¹ yu²
Jin (Wiktionary): jia¹ iou¹
Eastern Min (BUC): gă-ìu
Southern Min
(Hokkien, POJ): ka-iû / kee-iû

(Teochew, Peng'im): gia¹ iu⁵ / gê¹ iu⁵
Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ¹ka ⁶yeu

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: jiāyóu
  - Zhuyin: ㄐㄧㄚㄧㄡˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: jiayóu
  - Wade–Giles: chia¹-yu²
  - Yale: jyā-yóu
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jiayou
  - Palladius: цзяю (czjaju)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕi̯ä⁵⁵ joʊ̯³⁵/
- (Standard Chinese, erhua-ed)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: jiāyóur
  - Zhuyin: ㄐㄧㄚㄧㄡˊㄦ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: jiayóur
  - Wade–Giles: chia¹-yu²-ʼrh
  - Yale: jyā-yóur
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jiayoul
  - Palladius: цзяюр (czjajur)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕi̯ä⁵⁵ jɤʊ̯ɻʷ³⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: gaa¹ jau^4-2
  - Yale: gā yáu
  - Cantonese Pinyin: gaa¹ jau^4-2
  - Guangdong Romanization: ga¹ yeo^4-2
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kaː⁵⁵ jɐu̯²¹⁻³⁵/
Hakka
- (Northern Sixian, incl. Miaoli)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: kâ-yù
  - Hakka Romanization System: ga^ˊ iu^ˇ
  - Hagfa Pinyim: ga¹ yiu²
  - Sinological IPA: /ka²⁴ i̯u¹¹/
- (Southern Sixian, incl. Neipu)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: kâ-yù
  - Hakka Romanization System: ga^ˊ (r)iu^ˇ
  - Hagfa Pinyim: ga¹ yiu²
  - Sinological IPA: /ka²⁴ (j)i̯u¹¹/
- (Meixian)
  - Guangdong: ga¹ yu²
  - Sinological IPA: /ka⁴⁴⁻³⁵ iu¹¹/
Jin
- (Taiyuan)⁺
  - Wiktionary: jia¹ iou¹
  - Sinological IPA (old-style): /t͡ɕia¹¹ iəu¹¹/
Eastern Min
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: gă-ìu
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ka⁵⁵ ieu⁵³/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Quanzhou, General Taiwanese, Xiamen)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ka-iû
  - Tâi-lô: ka-iû
  - Phofsit Daibuun: ka'iuu
  - IPA (Xiamen): /ka⁴⁴⁻²² iu²⁴/
  - IPA (Taipei): /ka⁴⁴⁻³³ iu²⁴/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /ka⁴⁴⁻³³ iu²³/
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /ka³³ iu²⁴/
- (Hokkien: Zhangzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kee-iû
  - Tâi-lô: kee-iû
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /kɛ⁴⁴⁻²² iu¹³/
- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: gia¹ iu⁵ / gê¹ iu⁵
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: kia iû / ke iû
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kia³³⁻²³ iu⁵⁵/, /ke³³⁻²³ iu⁵⁵/

Note:

gia1 iu5 - as an interjection;
gê1 iu5 - "to refuel".

Wu
- (Northern: Shanghai)
  - Wugniu: ¹ka ⁶yeu
  - MiniDict: ka^平 yeu^去
  - Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ¹ka ³hhieu
  - Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /ka⁴⁴ ɦiɤ²³/

Verb

加⫽油 (verb-object) (intransitive)

(literally) to oil; to lubricate
(literally) to refuel
(figuratively) to refuel to accelerate; to hit the gas
(figuratively) to make extra effort; to work hard
(figuratively) to cheer someone on

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 加油 (“to refuel (a vehicle)”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		加油
Northeastern Mandarin	Taiwan	加油
	Malaysia	打油
	Singapore	打油
Southwestern Mandarin	Guilin	加油
	Dagudi (Maliba)	上油
	Reshuitang (Longling)	上油
	Mae Salong (Lancang)	上油
	Mae Sai (Tengchong)	上油
Cantonese	Hong Kong	入油
Gan	Lichuan	加油
Hakka	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	添油, 加油
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	添油, 加油
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	添油, 加油
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	添油, 加油
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	添油, 加油
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	添油, 加油
	Kuching (Hepo)	打油
Jin	Taiyuan	加油
Southern Min	Xiamen	添油
	Zhao'an	加油
	Taipei	加油 GT
	Penang (Hokkien)	拍油, 添油
	Singapore (Hokkien)	拍油
	Manila (Hokkien)	添油, 入油
	Chaozhou	加油
	Haifeng	加油
Note	GT - General Taiwanese (no specific region identified)

Derived terms

Interjection

加油！

come on!; go for it!; go!
加油，你能行的！ [MSC, trad. and simp.]
Jiāyóu, nǐ néng xíng de! [Pinyin]
Come on, you can do it!

中國，加油！／中国，加油！ ― Zhōngguó, jiāyóu! ― Go, China!

Usage notes

This interjection is idiomatic. It is mainly used during sporting events, games or competitions, or just to encourage someone.

Synonyms

(informal) 乾巴得／干巴得 (gānbādei)
(Sichuanese) 雄起 (xióngqǐ)

Descendants

→ English: add oil (calque)