Abbreviations and codes are often used in chats. But what is the meaning of this? TECHBOOK explains some frequently used abbreviations to make communication on Whatsapp, Telegram, Signal and Co. easier.
Chat shortcuts became more popular with the advent of cell phones. Because an SMS was only allowed to contain 160 characters when it was sent, the content was kept short. What better way to do that than with concise abbreviations? In this way, certain character strings became more and more established, which said a lot, but took up little space. You can also save time when writing if information or an emotion can be represented with an abbreviation – provided you understand the meaning.
Popular shortcuts in chats
What does ^^ mean as an abbreviation?
The ^ character is a so-called circumflex, which is also called a roof accent. It has different meanings depending on the context. In mathematics it is used to represent a maximum value. Estimated parameters in the statistics can also be designated in this way.
In chat, a double roof accent ^^ expresses happiness or a relaxed smile. The background is that the double roof accent looks like two closed eyes from an anime or manga. In Japanese cartoons and comics, characters often close their eyes when laughing. If a ^^ is added at the end of a statement in the chat, this is to be understood as positive reinforcement.
What does kk mean in chat?
kk is a quickly written ok, which means “all right”. Originally, typing the double letter should be quicker and adopts the phonetic language of an ok. It is doubtful whether you are really faster with kk. Nevertheless, the kk spelling prevailed.
What does WTF mean?
WTF is a very common acronym that expresses outraged or surprised astonishment. Each letter stands for a word. In this case, it is an abbreviation from English and consists of the interrogative sentence “What the fuck”. Translated into German, this means something like “What the hell”. The expression is not necessarily to be used negatively, but can also be a chat abbreviation for amazement at positive or negative conversation content.
WTF expressed.Photo: TECHBOOK Screenshot
What does the abbreviation LOL mean?
The chat abbreviation LOL means a happy laugh in writing. As with other acronyms, each letter represents an English word. LOL stands for the phrase “Laughing out loud” and can be translated as classic “hahaha”. In chat, LOL is used as an abbreviation when something is so funny that a person has to laugh out loud.
LOL can be used in chats in a variety of spellings. For example, it can be used in both upper and lower case or in other, slightly modified forms. Other spellings like lel, lul, lolol are common in this case. An increase in a laugh in chat is the abbreviation rofl or lmao. Rofl is short for the words “rolling on floor laughing”. In German, this means something like rolling on the floor laughing. Lmao, on the other hand, means “laughing my ass off”. This means to “kick your ass off”.
What does XOXO mean?
The abbreviation xoxo is often used at the end of a chat conversation. The individual letters do not stand for words, but symbolize kisses and hugs. This can refer to a friendship or a permanent relationship.
The chat abbreviation became famous with the series “Gossip Girl”. There, the anonymous person who spreads gossip always puts an XOXO under their messages.
What does <3 mean?
The “greater than” sign < together with a 3 is a so-called emoticon. With the abbreviation and a bit of imagination, mood and emotional states are presented. At <3, a heart lying on its side is formed. This means sympathy to love for the chat partner or for the chosen topic of conversation.
Are you familiar with emoticons? Then try our emoji quiz!
What does 2L8 mean?
The abbreviation 2L8 stands for “too late” in English and means “too late”. The numbers form the sounds of “too” (2-two) and “late” (l8-eight). So you can quickly let them know that it will be a little later.
In German, too, the 8 is often used to abbreviate words that contain wording of “eight”. For example, the word eight can be abbreviated Hab8.
What does W&L mean?
Each letter stands for a word. The W stands for the English word “Win”, meaning profit. So it can also serve as an abbreviation for something good. The L, on the other hand, stands for the English “Loose”. In German it means losing. The L can thus declare the content of chats as something bad.
In comments, a W can accordingly express approval or represent a like. An L, on the other hand, can mean a rejection or a dislike. You can also ask for the opinion of others, for example by asking a question with “W or L?”.