(campus story)

You are 20-odd years old and don’t have any clue what your younger siblings are talking about? Or are you a parent of a teen that’s difficult to get along with and some incomprehensible words make it all even more complicated? The colloquial code of adolescents changes so quickly that it’s really hard to keep up with the meanings of all the new informal language. Here are a few essential slang words to understand today’s teenagers.

Let’s start this list with the most common word which is widely used by both Ukrainian and American teens – “cringe.” It describes something you feel discomforted or embarrassed about. If a person is “cringy” or “cringe-worthy” it means they are troublesome because of being silly or awkward.

Let’s move on with another slang term – “based.” It’s usually used to express an agreement with something that another person is saying. In Ukrainian, other equivalents can be found, such as “foundation,” “plus,” “fact.” However, in English, it may also be used to describe a person who is self-confident and doesn’t care about other people’s opinion. On the contrary, a very similar term “basic” means “boring.”

Another slang term which means to ignore somebody for a long period of time is “to ghost” in English. It’s called this way because it involves a person disappearing quickly and for a while (or even forever) just like a ghost. The Ukrainian equivalent sounds like “to freeze oneself (or someone).” More likely it conveys the idea of ​​emotionally cold or indifferent behavior.

Curiously, the question “What is your Roman Empire?” actually means “What do you think about frequently?” In 2023, on TikTok, there was a trend where males were asked by their partners how often they thought about the Roman Empire, and it turned out that a lot of them did it really often. Since then, this phrase has been used to indicate something you constantly think of.

Further, to “kin” means to identify yourself with somebody (either a fictional character or a real person) you have similar characteristics with. A very similar slang verb – to “stan” which means to like somebody (usually a famous person) very much and to aspire to be like that person in terms of appearance, personality etc.

The next one is “sigma.” It is usually used to describe a man who is independent. On Ukrainian TikTok, teens often use this word ironically as a “rofl” (joke), giving it a negative connotation. For example, they may call “sigma” a boy who thinks he’s cool and different, but in fact he is really cringy.

Let’s move on with “vibe.” In both languages, it refers to the general feeling or atmosphere, usually a pleasant one. In addition to slang which denotes atmosphere, for the word “cozy,” Ukrainian teens use the slang term which literally means in English “lamp.” This word may also be used to describe a person who is cute or warm. By the way, such a person may likewise be called “nashnyi” which comes from Japanese and is an imitation of the meowing of cats.

Ukrainian adolescents use the word “tyan” to refer to a beautiful woman and   “kun” – to a handsome man. Both words originate from Japanese. In Japan “kun,” is used to address males of junior status or just men in general, and “tyan” – to address an attractive girl. Similarly, in American English, “stud” describes a handsome man and “foxy” – an attractive woman. However, the latter is a bit obsolete, and, nowadays, is used less frequently.

To express excitement, the Ukrainian teens use the phrase “imba.” Yet that is a short form of the word “imbalanced,” which in English slang actually means improper or unfair. To say they are excited, the Americans use “stoked” or “pumped.” On the contrary, to convey anger, they use the expression “pissed off” and the Ukrainians “to bomb.” But be careful, because in English to be “bombed” means to be extremely drunk.

And the last slang term in this summary is “bayan,” which is literally translated into English as “accordion.” It is usually used to denote something (usually a meme) which is already obsolete. The English equivalent – old chestnut.

In conclusion, understanding modern slang is not only a key to getting on well with the younger generation, but it also provides an insight into the values and concerns of today’s adolescents. With the development of the Internet, especially social networks, slang words come into use very quickly and become an important aspect of culture. While some slang terms vanish as fast as they appear, others get deeply rooted in the language and over time become an integral part of it.