Nowadays, if you're online, it's almost impossible not to come across English slang and abbreviations that dominate conversations on social media, text messages, and forums. Modern English slang is constantly evolving, especially among younger generations who seem to have their own dictionary full of terms. If you're not familiar with them, you might find yourself completely lost!
Let’s break down the Gen Z English slang and the most common English abbreviations so you don’t feel out of place in your next online conversation.
Modern Slang
To use English in your everyday life and sound as natural as possible, it’s important to learn slang. Here are some of the most common words people use today:
- Lit: This means something is amazing or cool.
- Example: "The party was lit!"(The party was incredible!)
- Slay: Used to describe someone who is doing great or looks amazing.
- Example: "She slayed that outfit."(She looked spectacular in that outfit.)
- No cap: Means you're not lying or exaggerating.
- Example: "That movie was the best, no cap."(That movie was the best, no exaggeration.)
- Vibe: Refers to the atmosphere or feeling something gives you.
- Example: "I love the vibe of this place."(I love the atmosphere of this place.)
- Ghosting: Describes when someone suddenly disappears from your life, ignoring messages without explanation.
- Example: "He started ghosting me after our last date."(He started ignoring me after our last date.)
- Stan: A term used to describe being a devoted fan of someone or something.
- Example: "I stan that artist."(I’m a devoted fan of that artist.)
- Sus: Short for "suspicious" and used to describe something or someone that seems shady.
- Example: "He’s acting kinda sus."(He’s acting a bit suspicious.)
Common English Chat Abbreviations
If you want to communicate with native English speakers, it's crucial to know common abbreviations since they use them all the time in their messages. Here are some of the most popular ones:
- LOL (Laughing Out Loud): One of the most well-known abbreviations, used when something is really funny.
- Example: "That meme was hilarious, LOL!"(That meme was hilarious, I’m laughing out loud!)
- BRB (Be Right Back): Means "I'll be back soon," perfect for when you need to step away from the conversation but plan to return shortly.
- Example: "BRB, I need to grab a coffee."(Be right back, I need to grab a coffee.)
- IDK (I Don’t Know): When you have no idea about something, this abbreviation is perfect.
- Example: "What’s the plan for tonight? IDK yet."(What’s the plan for tonight? I don’t know yet.)
- BTW (By The Way): Used to introduce a new topic or add something to the conversation, like saying "by the way."
- Example: "BTW, did you see the new movie?"(By the way, did you see the new movie?)
- TMI (Too Much Information): When someone gives you more details than you wanted to know, you can use this abbreviation.
- Example: "I really didn’t need to know that... TMI!"(I really didn’t need to know that... too much information!)
- AFK (Away From Keyboard): Mainly used in games and chats, it means you’re away from the keyboard or unable to respond at that moment.
- Example: "AFK for a few minutes."(Away from keyboard for a few minutes.)
- IMHO (In My Humble Opinion): Used to give your opinion in a "humble" way, although it can sometimes have a sarcastic tone.
- Example: "IMHO, that was the best episode so far."(In my humble opinion, that was the best episode so far.)
- GOAT (Greatest Of All Time): Used to describe someone who is incredible at what they do.
- Example: "LeBron James is the GOAT of basketball."(LeBron James is the greatest of all time in basketball.)
- SMH (Shaking My Head): Used when something is so absurd or ridiculous that you can only shake your head in disbelief.
- Example: "He’s still late to work, SMH."(He’s still late to work, unbelievable.)
- YOLO (You Only Live Once): Used to justify doing something bold or unexpected, suggesting you only live once.
- Example: "I bought the tickets to the concert, YOLO!"(I bought the tickets to the concert, you only live once!)
- BFF (Best Friends Forever): An abbreviation to describe someone who is your best friend for life.
- Example: "She’s my BFF since elementary school."(She’s been my best friend since elementary school.)
- ICYMI (In Case You Missed It): Used to draw attention to something that may have been overlooked.
- Example: "ICYMI, the meeting has been rescheduled."(In case you missed it, the meeting has been rescheduled.)
- TL;DR (Too Long; Didn’t Read): Used in two contexts: to give a summary of a long or complicated text or to reply to someone saying their message is too long and you’re not interested in reading it.
- Example: "TL;DR: It’s a great book, highly recommend it."(Summary: It’s a great book, highly recommend it.)
- NVM (Nevermind): Used to say that something is no longer relevant or doesn't matter anymore.
- Example: "NVM, I figured it out."(Nevermind, I figured it out.)
- ROFL (Rolling On the Floor Laughing): Similar to LOL, but expresses that something is so funny that you’re "rolling on the floor laughing."
- Example: "That joke was hilarious, ROFL!"(That joke was hilarious, I’m rolling on the floor laughing!)
Other Useful Abbreviations
There are more formal abbreviations used in other contexts that are also important to keep in mind. For example, abbreviations for the days of the week or months are commonly used in schedules. Generally, they are created by taking the first three letters of each day or month: Mon for Monday or Jan for January.
In other contexts, like design or fashion, it's common to use abbreviations for colors in English, where the initials or a short form of the color is used. Here are a few examples:
- BLK: Black
- W: White
- GRY: Gray
- BLU: Blue
- RED: Red
- GRN: Green
- YLW: Yellow
- PNK: Pink
- ORG: Orange
- PUR: Purple
