Jiayou (Chinese: 加油; pinyin: jiāyóu) is a Chinese figure of speech or idiom, meaning "be stronger!"
jiā means "to add", and yóu means oil or fuel. Therefore jiayou literally means "add oil" or "add fuel", as in refuelling a motor vehicle; by anology jiayou is used to encourage someone to put more effort into a certain task.
Jiayou is often used during sporting events, games, and competitions.[1] It has its origins in competitive Wushu, in which spectators often chant for their favorite player. For example, "He Jing De, Jiayou! He Jing De, Jiayou!" When people say "Zhōngguó, jiāyóu" (most notably during the 2008 Beijing Olympics) it can be loosely translated as "Go, China, Go!" or "Root for China!"[2]
Jiayou can be used in non-competitive contexts as well; for example, "Sìchuān jiāyóu!" is used to encourage victims of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake.