“Can I Get A Hoya?” – Its Meaning, Origin and Usage

If you’re online often, particularly if you spend a lot of time on TikTok, you might have come across the phrase “can I get a Hoya?” Probably followed by a chorus of “hoyas” from whoever’s around. But what is a hoya? Where did it come from, and why is it popular? 

Don’t worry, I’m here to answer all of your questions and more – the meaning, origin, and how to use the phrase in your daily life, you’ll be yelling “can I get a hoya?” every time something good happens. 

The Meaning of “Can I Get a Hoya”

This phrase is generally used to mean “can I get a hell yeah” or a shout-out. It was popularized by influencers on Instagram and TikTik as well as streamers as a way to engage with their fans and encourage their fans to engage with their comments. 

There’s no real definition of the fake word “hoya”, but it’s largely considered to be a call like “whoop” or “hell yeah”. 

The intention of the call is for the streamer or influencer to call “can I get a hoya” and then to receive a response of “hoyas” from their audience. 

Examples of “Can I Get a Hoya”

It might not make a lot of sense, but it’s essentially a call for your audience to agree that what you’re doing is cool or should be appreciated. For example: 

Influencer: We’re here at In-n-Out, can I get a hoya?”

Comments: [repeated streams of “Hoya” throughout the comments]

Streamer: Can I get a hoya for this win, people?

Other People In The Stream: Hoyaaaa! 

Generally, the responding hoya needs to be long, drawn out, and in a nasally voice. 

Other Ways to Say “Can I Get A Hoya?” 

There are a few similar phrases to “can I get a hoya?” that you could use in your streams or videos, like “can I get a shoutout”, “can I get a hell yes?” or even something along the lines of “put your hands in the air”. Anything that asks your audience to engage with what you’re saying in a positive and succinct way could be considered another form of “can I get a hoya”. 

Saying It Wrong

There are absolutely ways that you can say “can I get a hoya?” wrong, but it mostly comes down to context. Unless you’re being intentionally ironic, don’t use it when the situation is negative, or you did something wrong, because that is not the intended context of this phrase. 

Another way to say it wrong is to overly annunciate. Like most slang, this is a casual phrase meant to be said casually. Over-enunciation will just make you sound out of touch or pretentious. 

And finally be aware that a “hoya” is a verbal request for engagement, not a physical object. 

Origins of “Can I Get a Hoya?” 

There is no exact or specific origin of the phrase “can I get a hoya?”, though its modern intonation seems to be able to be credited to Instagram user Alissa Violet. Back in 2011, Alissa Violet would use the phrase with the specific emphasis in order to encourage her fans and viewers to give her a shoutout and to like her content. 

Her audience made the phrase become incredibly popular with young people of all demographics, and the saying is still really popular over 10 years later and there are thousands of influencers and TikTokers who use the phrase in their videos. 

However, it’s not clear exactly where Violet might have gotten the phrase from, though there are a few theories. 

For example, there are a lot of people who assume that it has something to do with the US Military – bear with me. SEAL teams and marines use the phrase “Hooyah” to respond to their drill instructors’ orders with enthusiasm. 

The use of “hooya” became very popular in a lot of films throughout the 80s and 90s, which then went on to influence a lot of pop culture, as Hollywood often does. It’s surprisingly likely that street culture and slang picked up the word and began to use it as a general request for engagement or enthusiasm. 

It’s possible that this filtered down through the years and cultures until the phrase landed in Alissa Violet’s vocabulary, who then went on to share it with thousands of other people through her videos, thus spreading the phrase. 

Whatever the actual origins are of the phrase, there’s no denying its reach or quote-ability. Log on to any server or online steam and you’re likely to hear the phrase at some point.