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50+ Common German Internet Slang Terms

German Internet slang, or Netzjargon , is a language you’ll be encountering more and more often as we spend more of our lives online. But besides helping you for online conversations, it can also take your reading and writing a step farther.

Much like English, the majority of German Internet slang involves an  Abkürzung (abbreviation) of a phrase or group of words, often formed from the first letters of each.

Farewell German Slang

Signing off on a conversation and need to rush? Try out these quick little farewells.

bb —  bis bald (see you soon)

bd —  bis dann (until then)

gn8 —  gute Nacht (good night)

lg —  liebe Grüße (kind regards)

vlg —  viele liebe Grüße (many kind regards)

Love Language Slang in German

These affectionate abbreviations may be short, but it doesn’t make them any less full of meaning.

dad   denke an dich (thinking about you)

hdl hab dich lieb (I like you / love ya)

hdgdl   hab dich ganz doll lieb (I like you a lot / love ya lots)

ida —  ich dich auch (I like / love you too)

ild   Ich liebe dich (I love you)

German Phrases in Slang

These shortened versions will come as a godsend in lengthy conversations. Plus, a lot of them are pretty funny to say out loud!

8tung / 8ung   achtung (be careful)

hdf —  halt die/deine Fresse (shut up)

IRL In real life

kA —  keine Ahnung (no clue)

kD —  kein Ding (no big deal)

kP —  kein Problem (no problem)

lamito   lach mich tot (laughing myself to death)

omg —  oh mein Gott (oh my God)

usw —  und so weiter (and so on)

wd   wieder da (I’m back)

wimre wenn ich mich recht erinnere (if I recall correctly)

zB   zum Beispiel (for example)

zl;ng   zu lang, nicht gelesen (too long, didn’t read)

Slang for Single Words and Terms

Texting is all about speed and efficacy. We all know German words can get notoriously long and clumpy, so it makes sense to chop them down into a few distinctive letters.

bzw —  beziehungswiese (or, accordingly)

eig —  eigentlich (actually)

evtl —  eventuell (eventually)

ggf   gegebenenfalls (if necessary)

jmd —  jemand (someone)

jzt —  jetzt (now)

nix   nichts (nothing)

vlt —  vielleicht (maybe)

WE —  Wochenende (weekend)

English-language Slang

Plenty of English texting slang is also widely used by Germans. This isn’t surprising, seeing how many native Germans are able to speak English as a second language. The widespread usage of English in everyday German even has its own nickname: Denglisch (Denglish)

Here are a few familiar terms that are commonly used.

afk away from keyboard

asap as soon as possible

btw by the way

cu see you

fyi for your information

gg good game

idk I don’t know

jk just kidding

lol laugh out loud

ok okay

thx thanks

plz please

XOXO hugs and kisses

wth what the hell / heck

wtf what the f***

y why

yolo you only live once

Where Can German Internet Slang Be Used?

Any of the slang terms you see here, you can expect to see on any digital or online German platform. This includes places like German-language texting apps, YouTube, forums, Discord and so on.

Remember that pretty much all of these words are very casual and informal in nature. So I recommend you use it for more professional messaging contexts (such as if you’re sending a message to your employer).

Interestingly,  in my experience, the farther you head into tech territory (beyond common usage like email and chat) the less specifically-German slang you tend to find, as it gives way to a largely English-derived lingo. My German acquaintances have told me it was usually fine to resort to English slang if you’re unsure about its German counterpart. I imagine this will come as a relief to many of you!

 

The online world is its own planet, which means you should learn the language it speaks!

Happy messaging!

And One More Thing...

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