There are two ways to express “加油” in English: one is “fuel charging,” which means adding fuel to a machine or vehicle, and the other is “come on,” which is used to encourage and cheer someone on. Other expressions that can be used depending on the situation include “Go go go” and “Don’t give up.”
The literal meaning of “加油” is to add fuel or lubricating oil to a machine or vehicle. It is also widely used to encourage and cheer oneself or others on, making it one of the most commonly used words in daily life. Different countries have different expressions for this phrase. In October 2018, the Chinese English expression “add oil” was added to the Oxford Dictionary.
