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.
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Contents
- Farewell German Slang
- Love Language Slang in German
- German Phrases in Slang
- Slang for Single Words and Terms
- English-language Slang
- Where Can German Internet Slang Be Used?
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!
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
