加油 Come On in Chinese

下xià星期五xīngqīwǔ，我wǒ朋友péngyou要yào参加cānjiā一个yí ge跑步pǎobù比赛bǐsài，他tā每天měitiān都dōu在zài公园gōngyuán练习liànxí。

Next Friday my friend has a running race, and he practices in the park every day.

比赛bǐsài那nà天tiān，天气tiānqì很hěn热rè，我wǒ也yě去qù公园gōngyuán看kàn他tā跑步pǎobù。

On the day of the race, the weather was hot, and I went to the park too to watch him run.

比赛bǐsài开始kāishǐ了le，很多hěnduō人rén都dōu站zhàn在zài旁边pángbiān看kàn。

The race began, and lots of people stood by the side watching.

我wǒ也yě大声dàshēng说shuō：“加油jiāyóu！你nǐ可以kěyǐ的de！”

I shouted loudly too: "Jiāyóu! You can do it!"

朋友péngyou跑pǎo得de很hěn快kuài，很快hěnkuài就jiù到dào了le前面qiánmiàn。

My friend ran very fast, and soon got to the front.

比赛bǐsài结束jiéshù以后yǐhòu，他tā很hěn开心kāixīn，笑着xiàozhe说shuō：“谢谢xièxie你nǐ，加油jiāyóu真zhēn有用yǒuyòng！”

After the race ended, he was happy and said with a smile: "Thanks — cheering me on really worked!"

中午zhōngwǔ我wǒ请qǐng他tā吃饭chīfàn，他tā说shuō，下次xiàcì比赛bǐsài还hái要yào我wǒ去qù给gěi他tā加油jiāyóu。

At noon I treated him to lunch, and he said next time he wants me to come cheer him on again.

🔊 Audio uses your device's Chinese voice for now — teacher recordings are coming. Tap any word to see its meaning.

Key words 生词

加油jiāyóucome on! go go go! (lit. "add fuel")

参加cānjiāto take part in

比赛bǐsàicompetition; match

练习liànxíto practice

开心kāixīnhappy

力气lìqistrength

加油 (literally "add fuel")

加油 literally means to add fuel/oil to a car, but Chinese speakers shout it to cheer someone on — like saying "Come on!" or "You can do it!"

加油！你可以的！— Come on! You can do it!

V + 得 + adj (complement of degree)

得 links a verb to a description of how the action is done — 跑得很快 means "runs (very) fast."

朋友跑得很快。— My friend runs very fast.

还要 (also plan to; still want to)

还要 says someone plans to do one more thing, adding it on top of what was just mentioned.

他还要我去给他加油。— He also wants me to come cheer him on.

1. What does 加油 literally mean?

2. Where does the friend's race in this story take place?

3. What does the narrator do after the race?

After this reading

I'm Fei, and I teach Mandarin one-on-one on Preply. Bring this text to a trial lesson — we'll fix your tones and turn it into a real conversation.