// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did "Add oil" say to the engine? You fuel my conversations.
| Add oil | |||||||||||||
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| Chinese | 加油 | ||||||||||||
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| Jiayou / Gayau | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 The Chinese characters (加油) for Jiayou along with the Mandarin pinyin (jiā yóu). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chinese | 加油 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | Add oil | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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"Add oil" is a Hong Kong English expression used as an encouragement and support to a person.[1] Derived from the Chinese phrase Gayau (or Jiayou; Chinese: 加油), the expression is literally translated from the Cantonese phrase. It is originated in Hong Kong and is commonly used by bilingual Hong Kong speakers.[2]
"Add oil" can be roughly translated as "Go for it".[1] Though it is often described as "the hardest to translate well",[3][4] the literal translation is the result of Chinglish and was added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2018.[5] The phrase is commonly used at sporting events and competitions by groups as a rallying cheer and can also be used at a personal level as a motivating phrase to the partner in the conversation.
It is commonly believed that the term originated from first being used at the Macau Grand Prix during the 1960s, possibly from contact with the Portuguese expression «dá-lhe gás»,[6] a common cheer by supporters urging the driver to "put more oil into it/step on the gas" during the racing competition to encourage them to speed/accelerate faster.[7] Another origin of this phrase that is commonly believed is from Zhang Ying, father of Zhang Zhidong. During his role as local official in Anshun from 1833 to 1856, out of encouragement for the students, he had people carry oil for the oil lamps, adding oil to the lamps of students who were studying hard during the night.[8]
Etymology and history
[edit]In Cantonese, gā (加) means "add", and yáu (油) means "oil" or "fuel". It is cited that the Cantonese term originated as a cheer at the Macau Grand Prix during the 1960s. It was used to imply stepping harder on the gas pedal, giving the car more speed and power to accelerate. It is also a metaphor of injecting fuel into a tank.[9] It was then used as an "all purpose cheer", and used exclusively in both Mandarin Chinese and Cantonese Chinese.[10]
The romanized Cantonese ga yau and literal translation phrase add oil was commonly used since then due to the large number of bilingual Hongkongers. Instead of using the romanised Cantonese, it is reported that the English phrase was used more commonly by young Hongkongers. The increasing use of text-based online communications also contributed to the usage of the English expression.[2]
In October 2018, due to its popularity among English speakers, "Add oil!" was officially added to the online edition of the Oxford English Dictionary. The entry recognises it as Hong Kong English, and verified that the usage of the phrase can be traced back to 1964.[11]
Usage
[edit]
The term is popularly used for colloquial conversations in Chinese due to its linguistic flexibility in being utilizable in various situations and has been described as an "all purpose cheer."[12] In circumstances of encouragement, it can be translated as "Good Luck!", "Go for it!", "You can do it!", "Don't give up!". As a rallying cry during public events such as a sports competition, it can mean "Go team go!" or "Let's go!" While the term can be used as an admonishment, where in an example of "Look at those grades, you should jiāyóu!" would mean to "Put more effort into it!", it can also be used as an expression of solidarity with friends, in those situations to mean "I’m behind you" and "I’m rooting for you!"[13]
The phrase is a versatile expression typically used in encouraging and supporting speeches. For example, "Add oil, you can do it!".[14] It is also commonly used during sports matches, to encourage athletes to perform well.
The phrase "Wenchuan jiayou!" was widely used online and in Chinese media as an expression of sympathy and solidarity during the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake particularly for the county of Wenchuan, the epicentre of the earthquake and the most severely impacted area.[15]
At the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, the Chinese Olympics Team adopted the phrase as its official cheer, which went along with its own corresponding routine of claps.[16]
The term was used as a "rallying cry" and phrase for support during the 2014 Umbrella Movement and the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests. It also became a popular tattoo for protesters; with a certain design the Cantonese text for the phrase, when read sideways, appears to be the Chinese text saying 'Hong Kong'.[17] Local artists set up the "add oil machine",[18] a wall along Gloucester Road. It was used to encourage international supporters to put down supporting messages to the protesters.[19]
The term was also used extensively during the Hong Kong protests in 2019–20.[20]
During the COVID-19 pandemic that broke out first in the city of Wuhan in Hubei province, the phrase "Wuhan jiayou!" was a common expression of solidarity throughout social and news media but also in public with the city which went under lockdown. Videos soon surfaced online on January 23 of Wuhan residents chanting the phrase, roughly translatable to "Stay strong, Wuhan!" or "Keep on going, Wuhan!", through of their windows to neighbours with many joining in to the chorus to echo across the high-rise buildings of the city.[21][22]
The phrase was also used to express international solidarity with Wuhan. Relief boxes of face masks sent to Wuhan because of a shortage by its sister-city of Oita in Japan were labelled with "Wuhan jiayou!"[23] On February 2, the UAE declared "We support Wuhan, and the Chinese communities around the world" and projected the phrase "Wuhan jiayou!" onto the Burj Khalifa in Dubai as a message of solidarity.[24]
The phrase gained attention in 2021 when Saturday Night Live alumni Bowen Yang used it in his Weekend Update segment[25] to react to the recent surge in anti-Asian hate crimes in America. The comedian told audiences to "fuel up" (his translation of the cheer) and do more for Asian Americans.
Related terms
[edit]Elsewhere in East Asia, terms used similarly to add oil are the Japanese Ganbatte! (頑張って) and Korean Paiting! (Korean: 파이팅).[26]
References
[edit]- 1 2 "This powerful Hong Kong English phrase is now in the Oxford Dictionary". Inkstone. Retrieved 2018-10-16.
- 1 2 "Add oil! The evolution of Hong Kong English, and where our unique words come from". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 2018-10-16.
- ↑ Lee, Jennifer 8. (13 August 2008). "Lost in Translation: A Chinese Cheer". Rings Blog. Retrieved 2018-10-16.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ↑ "Add oil! The evolution of Hong Kong English, and where our unique words come from". South China Morning Post. 2015-06-24. Retrieved 2020-02-06.
- ↑ "The Chinglish phrase 'add oil' now has an entry in the Oxford English Dictionary". shanghaiist. Retrieved 2018-10-17.
- ↑ "Dar gás". Infopédia.
- ↑ "A Chinese phrase has joined the Oxford English Dictionary. Here's how". South China Morning Post. 2018-10-17. Retrieved 2020-02-06.
- ↑ 言真, 郭 (February 15, 2022). "古典瞬間：話說「加油」". 古典瞬間：話說「加油」.
- ↑ "A Chinese phrase has joined the Oxford English Dictionary. Here's how". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 2018-10-17.
- ↑ "Pop Cantonese: Word of the Month – 加油 Add Oil - Zolima City Magazine". Zolima City Magazine. 2017-01-18. Retrieved 2018-10-16.
- ↑ 陳展希 (2018-10-16). "港式英文「add oil」被列入牛津詞典 網民：唔使再畀人話錯啦！" [Chinglish "add oil" added to Oxford Dictionary. Netizens: Never need to be corrected anymore!]. 香港01 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Retrieved 2018-10-16.
- ↑ "Chinese Cheer Makes Olympic Debut". NPR.org. Retrieved 2020-02-06.
- ↑ "What Does "jiāyóu" 加油 Mean in English? [Learn Chinese]". China Internship Placement Blog. 2016-08-22. Archived from the original on 2021-02-28. Retrieved 2020-02-06.
- ↑ "'Chinglish' Phrase 'Add Oil' Officially Added to the Oxford English Dictionary". nextshark.com. 16 October 2018. Retrieved 2018-10-17.
- ↑ Lee, Jennifer 8 (2008-08-13). "Lost in Translation: A Chinese Cheer". Rings Blog. Retrieved 2020-02-06.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ↑ "Add oil! Add oil!". Reuters. 2008-06-05. Retrieved 2020-02-06.
- ↑ Yeung, Jessie (2019-08-21). "Hong Kong protesters are getting tattoos". CNN Style. Retrieved 2019-08-21.
- ↑ "How 2014 Hong Kong protests popularised the phrase 'add oil'". South China Morning Post. 2016-09-11. Retrieved 2020-02-06.
- ↑ Strange, Adario. "Messages Supporting Hong Kong Protesters Stream from Web to the Streets". Mashable. Retrieved 2018-10-16.
- ↑ Yeung, Jessie (2019-08-21). "Hong Kong protesters are getting tattoos". CNN Style. Retrieved 2019-08-21.
- ↑ "'Wuhan jiāyóu': chants of solidarity spread across city at epicentre of coronavirus – video". The Guardian. 2020-01-28. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2020-02-06.
- ↑ "Commentary: Jiayou! A community in crisis but Wuhan residents fight back with calls for solidarity". CNA. Archived from the original on 2020-02-06. Retrieved 2020-02-06.
- ↑ "Support efforts begin across Japan to help coronavirus-hit Wuhan". The Japan Times Online. 2020-01-29. ISSN 0447-5763. Retrieved 2020-02-06.
- ↑ "Solidarity: We're one with Wuhan, says UAE". gulfnews.com. 2 February 2020. Retrieved 2020-02-06.
- ↑ "'Fuel up, do more': Bowen Yang of 'SNL' speaks out on anti-Asian hate". NBC News. 2021-03-29. Retrieved 2020-04-01.
- ↑ "What Does "jiāyóu" 加油 Mean in English? [Learn Chinese]". China Internship Placement Blog. 2016-08-22. Archived from the original on 2021-02-28. Retrieved 2020-02-06.