What does 奥力给 mean?
One of the most iconic Chinese internet cheers — instantly recognizable, endlessly remixed.
奥力给
Let's go! / Do it! / Give it everything! — a battle cry of encouragement.
Power up / give it power (reversed syllables of 给力噢).
Let's go! / Do it! / Give it everything! — a battle cry of encouragement.
WHEN YOU SEE IT
奥力给 is a masterpiece of accidental word creation. Its origin: a livestreamer on 快手 (Kuaishou, the short-video platform) known as 朝阳冬泳怪鸽 (Chaoyang Winter Swimming Strange Pigeon) would end his videos by shouting 给力噢！(gěi lì ōu — “give it power!”). Over time, he started reversing the syllables: 给力噢 → 奥力给. The reversal made it catchier, weirder, and infinitely more memetic.
The character who created it — a middle-aged man who swam in frozen rivers and delivered motivational speeches to his phone — was simultaneously laughed at and genuinely admired. The phrase spread because it was both ridiculous and sincere. You could use it ironically, but it also actually worked as encouragement.
Today, 奥力给 is used as a half-ironic, half-genuine rallying cry. Students say it before exams. Gamers type it in chat before a difficult boss fight. People shout it before doing something scary. The irony doesn’t cancel out the genuine encouragement — that is the magic of Chinese internet culture.
The phrase spawned endless variations: 奥力给，干了！(Let’s go, just do it!), 奥力给就完了 (just 奥力给 and it’s done). It is one of those rare memes that transcended its origin to become part of the everyday language.
HOW PEOPLE ACTUALLY USE IT
奥力给！干了兄弟们！
Let's go! Do it, brothers!
Classic meme cheer面试之前对着镜子喊了一声奥力给。
Before the interview, I shouted 奥力给 at myself in the mirror.
Self-encouragement (real usage)CLOSE NEIGHBORS
加油
Go for it / add oil — the standard encouragement.
Normal situations — 加油 is safe everywhere, 奥力给 is deliberately memey冲
Charge! / Rush forward!
Short, aggressive encouragement — common in gaming and sports