Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 祝你好運 / 祝你好运 | zhù nǐ hǎoyùn |
| 加油 | jiāyóu |
| 乾巴得 / 干巴得 | gānbādei |
Chinese uses different expressions depending on whether you are wishing someone fortune or providing encouragement. 祝你好運 / 祝你好运 is used to wish fortune on someone. For encouragement, such as cheering someone on during a competition or a difficult task, 加油 is the most common way to say 'go for it' or 'keep going'. You may also use 乾巴得 / 干巴得.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 祝你好運 / 祝你好运 is composed of 祝 (to wish), 你 (you) and 好运 (good luck).
Which one should you use?
While 祝你好運 / 祝你好运 is a wish for fortune, 加油 is used as an expression of encouragement to 'add oil' or persevere.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The structure 祝你 + [noun/phrase] is the standard way to express a wish for someone in Chinese. You can also use 希望一切顺利 to mean 'I hope everything goes smoothly', or 祝你在新工作中好运连连 to mean 'Wishing you lots of good luck in your new job'.
How do you pronounce it?
zhù nǐ hǎoyùn
Did you know?
- 加油 gained popularity as a chant during the Macau Grand Prix in the 1960s and 1970s, where it functioned as an instruction for drivers to accelerate.
- In modern internet slang, the 'add oil' concept from 加油 has become a popular English-language loan-translation used across Asia.
- While 祝你好運 is a literal wish for luck, using 加油 focuses on the person's effort and persistence rather than fate.
Examples in context
- 考试加油！Good luck on your test.This example shows how to use 加油 to wish someone luck on a test.Tatoeba #4885094 by musclegirlxyp, translation #3616228 by CK
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good luck” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 乾巴得, 加油, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
