슬랭은 특정 집단의 고유한 언어이거나 신조어, 임의로 변형된 단어, 우스꽝스러운 비유 등의 비공식 어휘를 말합니다. 11세 ~ 26세에 해당되는 Z세대들의 경우 소셜미디어, TV 또는 영화, 비디오 게임 등을 통해 다양한 신조어를 만들어 내고 자신들의 언어로 소통하는 경향을 보입니다.

싱가포르 스트레이츠 타임즈에서 Z세대들이 사용하는 슬랭 A-Z를 정리하였습니다.

A: Ate (verb)

Used when someone performs a task extremely well.

Example: “Wow, this work is great! You ate that!”

B: Bracket ( ) (modifier)

Said out loud, it is used to specify the intended meaning of an ambiguous word in its context.

Example: “Gen Z lingo is so special… (derogatory).” This would mean that Gen Z lingo is special in a bad way – possibly complete nonsense.

C: Crying emoji (emoji)

Used exclusively when texting. It does not refer to crying or being sad, but to laughter – laughter to tears or laughter to death.

Example: “Hahaha, I’m dead (crying emoji).”

D: Delulu and deluluship (adjective)

Definitely not a relationship, but maybe one in the head. Coming from the root word delusional, “delulu” is used to describe someone who is delusional, usually in the context of a relationship. He or she may be imagining a “deluluship”.

Example: Person A: “Jungkook from BTS is going to marry me one day.”

Person B: “You’re delulu.”

E: Era (noun)

To describe a period in one’s life in a casual way.

Example: “I’m over my toxic era. I’m now in my healing era.”

F: FR (for real) (adverb)

While FR stands for “for real”, it is typically used in its short form for typing convenience. It indicates a sureness to the statement being made.

To indicate incredulity: “Are you being fr right now?”

To assert: “I’m being so fr right now.”

G: Gagged (verb) (adjective)

To be stunned beyond words, in a positive or negative way.

Example(verb): “Don’t talk to me, I’m gagging on this photo of Jungkook from BTS.”

Example(adjective): “Did you see that photo of Jungkook from BTS? I am gagged.”

To intensify its use, you can say you are “gagged and gooped”.

H: Has me in a chokehold (verb phrase)

To be so obsessed with something that it keeps replaying in your mind.

Example: “Taylor Swift has my Spotify in a chokehold.”

I: -ing (verb suffix)

Adding “ing” to words. It is a variation inspired by “it’s giving” or “it’s serving”, which usually means that the subject at hand is well done or doing a good job. Except in this case, “-ing” is added to nouns it should normally not be added to.

Example: “The math is mathing” means the mathematics is making sense. Alternatively, “the math is not mathing” means the mathematics is not making any sense.

J: Is my Joker (verb phrase)

Comes from a soundbite by TikTok user grace (@the1stgirlonthemoon) referring to the cult favourite novel My Year Of Rest And Relaxation (2018) by Ottessa Moshfegh gaining a film adaptation: “The way men acted when ‘the joker’ came out? This is my ‘joker’. Except I will be... so much worse.”

It refers to being obsessed with a film or TV series, like zealous fans of the 2019 American movie Joker starring actor Joaquin Phoenix who would talk solely about the film and adopt Phoenix’s character into their personality.

Example: “The new Barbie movie is my Joker… I’m obsessed.”

K: King (noun)

To describe anyone whom you love and respect, often used for masculine persons.

Example: “Don’t let her ruin your energy. Keep your chin up, king.”

L: Lore (noun)

Typically refers to the collective narrative of a fantasy universe. In Gen Z lingo, this word can be used to dramatise anyone’s past. It is appropriated from fantasy books, shows and gaming fandoms.

Example: “He showed me his childhood pictures and I learnt all about the Xavier lore.”

M: Mother and mothering (noun) (verb)

Typically used to describe a woman who is iconic. It is not purely restricted to celebrities, and can be widely applied to any woman.

Example: “Beyonce is so mother.”

Used like “mothering”, it is when someone is doing something that is making her mother.

Example: “Mrs Chia is really mothering with that outfit today.”

N: NPC (Non-playable character) (noun) (adjective)

A word borrowed from the gaming world, an NPC refers to a person with no ability to think for himself or herself, or is irrelevant to the main storyline.

In the gaming world, an NPC is often a side or background character, unlike playable ones who are often autonomous and important main characters.

Example: “I’m tired of always being involved in drama. I just want to enter my peaceful NPC era and go about my unproblematic little life.”

Typically an insult, used to describe someone who is irrelevant or boring.

Example: “Can you please go and find a hobby? You’re acting like an NPC right now.”

O: On God (modifier)

A derivative of “swear to God”, used for added emphasis and conviction.

Example: “Babe, would you cheat on me?” “On God, no I won’t.”

P: Period (interjection)

Period, as in full stop, signals the end of a sentence. No further questions, no room for discussion. It is typically used to affirm someone and can be used with other compliments.

Example: “You ate that, period!”

Q: Queen (noun)

To describe anyone whom you love and respect, irrespective of gender.

Example: “Slay, queen.”

R: Rizz (noun) (verb)

Charm or magnetism, often in a romantic context.

Example: “John has such inexplicable rizz. Every girl is falling for him.”

An attribute that is charming or desirable can be used as an adjective to rizz.

Example: “John has every girl falling for him because he has that law student rizz. It’s inevitable.”

Can be used as “rizzing it up” in the verb form, to describe someone who is in the act of using his or her rizz.

Example: “He’s really rizzing it up with the girl next door.”

S: Side eye (verb)

To be judgmental towards something that has just happened. Comes from a viral TikTok sound saying “Bombastic side eye… criminal offensive side eye.”

Example: If you see a couple being excessively affectionate on public transport, you might turn to your friend and say “side eye”.

T: Tea (noun)

Another word for gossip. A bonding activity among friends.

You can be known as a tea connoisseur or a tea pot – one who knows all the gossip.

When you are sipping tea, you are taking in the gossip.

When you are spilling the tea, you are telling the gossip.

Example: “Valerie, get here now. Ethan is about to spill the tea.”

U: Understood the assignment (verb phrase)

When someone exceeds expectations or does a task extremely competently.

Example: “Meryl Streep always understands the assignment.” This means actress Streep has excellent range and always delivers, no matter the role.

V: Vibes (noun)

The energy of a person or place. The vibe can be either positive or negative. It can also be used with a preceding noun.

Example: “This shirt is so Kelly vibes.” This indicates that the shirt suits Kelly’s style and has Kelly’s energy.

W: W or L (noun)

Short for Winning and Losing. More often texted than used in conversation. To take an L is to take a loss. If said out loud, W should be pronounced as “dub”.

(adjective) To describe a positive or negative subject.

Example: “That’s such an L opinion.”

X: X (punctuation)

Coming from the world of fandoms, X is used to indicate two characters or persons that the fan is “shipping” together – imagining them in a romantic relationship. While it is still used, this word has fallen out of favour, with more users preferring either the forward slash (/) or using portmanteaus of two names.

Example: “Who even says Jimin x Jungkook anymore? It’s Jikook.”

Y: Yass (exclamation)

A derivative of “Yes”. An affirmation. The longer, the better.

Example: “Yaaaaassss, queen!”

Z: Zaddy (noun)

A level above Daddy, it connotes an attractive older man who looks like he could take care of you.

Example: “The actor Oscar Issac is so zaddy, rocking with his salt-and-pepper hair.”