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English abbreviations everyone should know
English words and abbreviations have become indispensable in German and many other languages. They are used every day in very different contexts. On the one hand we read and hear English, on the other hand we use English words ourselves and are often not even aware that there are also German names for some.
What are Anglicisms? Anglicisms are, broadly speaking, words that have an English influence or even just an English twist. They do not necessarily have to have been included in the standard dictionaries, even if many of them can still be found in the dictionary today. Some examples of Anglicisms:
- Aerobic
- Brunch
- Charts
- Clown
- Couch
- Festival
- hairspray
- Interview
As the saying goes, brevity is the spice. Abbreviations are a great way to simplify, speed up and spice up communication, especially when trying to quickly type answers on a tiny smartphone keyboard.
Do you know these English abbreviations?
- DIY – DO IT Y OURSELF
The term DIY is an abbreviation of the English expression "Do it yourself" and describes the trend of making things such as furniture, lamps, jewelry, accessories, etc. independently instead of buying off the shelf.
- FYI – FOR YOUR INFORMATION
FYI means "For your interest" or "For your information." In German, "For your information" or "For your information" is usually written instead.
- XOXO – HUGS AND KISSES
At the end of a message there is often the word XOXO. Simply means: "Hugs and kisses."
- RSVP – PLEASE REPLY
Like so much in English, this phrase comes from French. RSVP stands for "Répondez s'il vous plait." You will often find this request on invitations to weddings and other celebrations.
- ASAP – AS SOON AS POSSIBLE
"Can you take care of it ASAP?" Something like this could be in an email from your boss. Depending on what's going on, such an instruction may or may not cause panic, but either way, it doesn't give you much time to do it because it simply means "as soon as possible."
- BFF – BEST FRIENDS FOREVER
The abbreviation BFF, simply means "Best Friends Forever."
- YOLO – YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE
Means something like: "You only live once."
- LMK – LET ME KNOW
You are hereby asked in a relaxed and friendly manner to let the interlocutor know what is going on. This phrase fits well at the end of a text message. LMK means that a promise, confirmation or more specific information is expected.
- VIP – VERY IMPORTANT PERSON
Is an abbreviation for "Very important person." In English: "Very interesting (important) person."
- TGIF – THANK GOD IT’S FRIDAY
This is how people ring in the end of the day every Friday afternoon all over the world. Cheers, the weekend is here!
- WWW – WORLD WIDE WEB
The worldwide hypertext system accessible via the Internet.
- FAQ – FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Frequently asked questions, or frequently asked questions, are a compilation of frequently asked questions and the corresponding answers on a topic.
- LOL – LAUGHING OUT LOUD
"Laughing Out Loud" or "Laugh out Loud" is one of the most commonly used abbreviations in Internet jargon.
