I've what an abbreviation. English abbreviations and abbreviations

In the modern age, saturated with information, there is less and less time for communication and correspondence. No matter how paradoxical it may sound, the more information a person has, the more ways he looks for to reduce it and transmit it in a more condensed form. One of the best ways to shorten words and expressions is to use abbreviations.

Today they are found everywhere in general English, in business correspondence, in SMS messages and chats, and in international terms. Many of them are used quite often, so not only students of English, but also an ordinary modern person should master a couple of the most common ones.

Abbreviation(Italian abbreviatura from Latin brevis - short) is a word formed by an abbreviation of a word or phrase and read by the alphabetical name of the initial letters or by the initial sounds of the words included in it.

Abbreviations are found in every language in the world and play a huge role. Sometimes ignorance or incorrect use of a particular abbreviation in English can lead to a rather awkward situation or misunderstanding of what the interlocutor wants to express with a particular phrase.

Let's look at an example of the incorrect use of a fairly well-known abbreviation LOL(laughing out loud - laugh loudly, out loud).

Messages
Mom: Your beloved aunt just passed away. LOL
I: Why is that funny?
Mom: It’s not funny, David!
I: Mom, LOL means “laughing out loud”.
Mom: Oh my goodness! I thought it means “lots of love”...I sent it to everyone! I need to call everyone…

Messages
Mom: Your favorite aunt just passed away. LOL
Me: What's so funny about that?
Mom: This is not funny, David!
Me: Mom, LOL means "laugh out loud".
Mom: Oh God! I thought it meant lots of love...
I sent this to everyone! We need to call everyone back...

Most popular abbreviations

This list of abbreviations can be found everywhere and you are probably familiar with most of them visually, but let’s pay attention to their correct translation and use.

• V.I.P. (very important person)- very important person;
• P.S.(from Latin “post scriptum”) - after what is written;
• A.D.(from Latin “Anno Domini”) - our era;
• B.C. / B.C.E. -before Christ- before Christ / before Common Era- BC;
• ASAP (as soon as possible)- As soon as possible;
• UNO (United Nations Organization)- UN;
• UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization)- UNESCO;
• a.m.(ante meridiem, in the morning)- in the morning;
• p.m.(postmeridiem, in the afternoon)- In the evening;
• i.e. ( id est , that is)- it means;
• e.g. ( exemplary gratia , for example)- For example;
• u (you)- You;
• etc.(from Latin et cetera) - and so on;
• 2G2BT (too good to be true)- too good to be true;
• 2moro (tomorrow)- Tomorrow;
• 2day (today)- Today;
• BD or BDAY (birthday)- birthday;
• 2nite (tonight)- In the evening;
• 4ever (forever)- forever;
• AFAIK (as far as I know)- as far as I know;
• BTW (by the way)- by the way;
• RLY (really)- really, really;
• BRB (be right back)- I'll be back soon;
• TTYL (talk to you later)- we’ll talk later, “before we get in touch”;
• IMHO (in my honest opinion)- in my opinion, in my opinion;
• AKA (also known as)- also known as;
• TIA (thanks in advance)- thanks in advance.

Let's look at the use of the abbreviations given above in examples:

• According to my work schedule I need to come to work at 8 a.m.-According to my work schedule, I need to come to work at 8 am.
• AFAIK this concert will be held 2day.-As far as I know, the concert will be held today.
• All these events happened in 455 B.C.- All these events took place in 455 BC.
• I invite u to my BD 2nite.- I invite you to my birthday tonight.
• BTW she was RLY good at Math at school. - By the way (by the way) she was really good at mathematics when she was in school.
• I"m sorry. I"m in hurry. TTYL.-I'm sorry, I'm in a hurry. Let's talk later.

General purpose English abbreviations are described quite interestingly in this video:

Business letters and abbreviations

Writing business letters and composing business correspondence today requires high-quality study and a careful approach. When faced for the first time with the design and decoding of abbreviations in business English, a beginner sometimes experiences confusion and bewilderment as to what it all means. The difficulty lies in using this or that abbreviation correctly, as well as in the specifics of business vocabulary. However, as in any area of ​​language learning, knowledge and a little practice will help you overcome any difficulties.

A number of abbreviations are used only in writing, but in oral speech the full forms of the word are pronounced:

• Mr. (mister)- Mister;
• Mrs. (mistress)- Mrs.
• Dr. (Doctor)- doctor;
• St. (Saint/Street)- saint or street;
• Blvd. (boulevard)- boulevard;
• Ave. (avenue)- avenue;
• Sq. (square)- square;
• Rd. (road)- road;
• Bldg. (building)- building;
• B.Sc. (Bachelor of Science)- Bachelor of Science;
• M.A. (Master of Arts)- Master of Arts;
• Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy)- PhD;
• M.D. (Doctor of Medicine)- Doctor of Medical Sciences.

The most popular business abbreviations of English words are given below:

• Co (company)- company;
• PA (personal assistant)- personal assistant;
• Appx. (appendix)- application;
• Re. (reply)- answer;
• p. (page)- page;
• smth. (something)- something;
• smb. (somebody)- somebody;
• vs ( lat. versus)- against;
• etc. ( lat. et cetera)- And so on.

Popular three-letter acronyms ( TLA or Three-Letter Acronyms) in the business sphere:

• CAO (Chief Administrative Officer)- Administration Manager;
• CEO (Chief Executive Officer)- chief executive officer (CEO);
• exp. (export)- export - removal of goods beyond the borders of the country;
• HR (human resources)- HR service of the enterprise;
• HQ (Headquarters)- main department of the company;
• LLC (limited liability company)- limited liability company (LLC);
• R&D (research and development)- Research and development;
• IT (information technology)- information Technology.

Examples of business correspondence using abbreviations :

• Dear Mr. Braun, our Co will be glad to offer you the position of CAO.- Dear Mr. Brown, our company will be glad to offer you the position of chief accountant of the company.
• Dear Ms. Stone, my PA will definitely contact you about changes in exp. process - Dear Miss Stone, my personal secretary will contact you regarding changes in the export process.

Chats and SMS

As stated above, in English there are Three Letter Acronyms ( TLA or Three-Letter Acronyms), which help shorten and condense fairly large phrases into 3 letters. Today, this is a fairly popular way to save time when corresponding on social networks.

• BFN (bye for now)- see you later, bye
• BTW (by the way)- By the way
• FYI (for your information)- for your information
• JIT (just in time)- during
• IOW (in other words)- in other words, in other words
• NRN (no reply is necessary)- no answer required
• OTOH (on the other hand)- on the other side

As for SMS abbreviations, there are a huge number of them.
The specificity of such abbreviations is that it can be almost impossible to decipher without a detailed analysis.

• GL (good luck)- Good luck!
• GB (good bye)- Bye
• DNO (don't know)- Don't know
• ASAYGT (as soon as you get this)- as soon as you receive it
• B4 (before)- before
• BC (because)- because
• BON (believe it or not)- believe it or not
• BW (best wishes)- best wishes
• BZ (busy)- busy
• CYT (see you tomorrow)- see you tomorrow

• Wish you G.L. on your exam. Mom. - I wish you good luck in the exam. Mother.
• Sorry. BZ. C.Y.T.- I am sorry. Busy. See you tomorrow.
• I will be JIT. G.B.- I'll be on time. Bye.

For a detailed overview of English abbreviations for words in SMS, we recommend visiting, which contains 2000+ abbreviations.

As we can see, the topic is quite extensive, but don’t be scared! After encountering acronyms and abbreviations in English several times, you just can't help but fall in love with them for their originality and help in saving you time. And once you love something, you will definitely and easily remember it!

We suggest you choose a couple of abbreviations for yourself right now and surprise your loved ones with improved communication! BFN and watch your step while texting!

Big and friendly EnglishDom family

Even when speaking Russian, we pronounce words differently from how they are written. We are not even talking about the rules of reading, but about those cases when, in order to quickly express a thought, we throw out whole chunks from words. For example: “wha” instead of “what” or “what”, “right now” instead of “now” and so on.

Are there similar things in English? Yes, and even more often than in Russian.

You may have seen words like wanna And gonna: these are shortened, quickly pronounced forms of want to(“want to do something”) and going to("going to do something"). English abbreviations consist of combining several small words into one big one.

This transformation occurs with the most frequently used combinations and is used in informal colloquial speech. You can even see abbreviations in writing: on the Internet, in SMS, in books that try to accurately reproduce the speech of the characters. In other words, in everyday English there is nowhere without abbreviations.

Let's look at the most necessary of them.

Attention: Have you been learning English for a long time, but can't speak? Find out in Moscow how to speak after 1 month of classes using the ESL method.

14 abbreviated forms with examples

! Note!

As you can see, all abbreviations are a modified version of one form. For example:

• lemme- it's always let me(Not let him, let her etc.);
• whatcha- Always what are you(Not what is he, what are they etc.).

What does it mean? This means what to say" he wanna go with us" is incorrect, because in full the phrase should look like " he wants to go with us", but not " he wants to go with you". The word itself wanna is not abusive or offensive, but its incorrect use hurts the ear and sounds like street language in the worst sense :).

And finally: you may have noticed the word ain"t. Where did it come from and why does it mean immediately I am, he is and even I have? The point is that once upon a time ain"t was short for am not, but later (back in the 19th century!) it spread to he is, and on she is, and so on.

All the abbreviations that we have discussed are completely normal for everyday communication, but be careful: inserting them in a letter to business partners is the same as writing “right now” in Russian :).

I hope the article was useful and interesting! Good luck - and use the abbreviations!

The English language is replete with so many abbreviations that entire dictionaries are compiled to understand what is said and written. Abbreviations can be classified in different ways:

• by area of ​​application
• type
• by visualization method
• by similarity of sound.

Most abbreviations are built like an acronym. An abbreviation can be initialized, that is, the initial letters of the constituent words are used for abbreviation. Another type of abbreviation is called alphabetic. There are also mixed types. They are also found in English.

Abbreviations for SMS

A striking example of such an abbreviation is specific combinations for writing SMS. A whole language has been invented from hundreds of words, understandable, however, to both the sender and the addressee. Let's say you receive a message from an English-speaking subscriber: ADIDAU BILY, this is not a network error, this is a confession: “All Day I Dream About You Because I Love You.”

Several Yet:

Abbreviations are used not only in messages sent through modern gadgets, but also in completely traditional correspondence.

Abbreviations in correspondence

In business correspondence, many abbreviations are used, from job titles: CA - certified accountant, CEO (chief executive officer) - senior officer to specific terms: col. (collection) - collection, collection; b/l (Bill of lading) - bill of lading/waybill

When filling out the address cell on an envelope, people do not write Street in full, replacing it with the abbreviation St - street.

And in the letter itself, the recipient, seeing the combinations of the letters “pls”, “ppl”, “Q.” can easily read: please, people, question.

Dimension abbreviations

As in Russian, English often resorts to abbreviations when writing various measurements. A barrel is designated as bbl, a foot is ft, an ounce is oz, a quart is qt.

In English some time-related abbreviations, are written as an acronym, for example, the names of the months: Apr. , Aug./Ag., Dec. They are pronounced in full form: April, August, December.

Others, say, indicating the time of day: a.m., p.m. - in letters, that is, the way they are written.

Symbolic abbreviations very common. Many of them are international in nature.

The number is indicated by the sign #, “and” - &, the dollar is written as $, the pound sterling and euro correspond to the symbols £ and €. The copyright symbol is ©.

Geographical, phonetic, visual abbreviations

Abbreviation of geographical names, such as states, provinces and even individual cities are far from uncommon in the English language. An example would be the abbreviation for the District of Columbia DC or the city of Washington, WA.

An interesting type of abbreviation - phonetic and visual. The first are based on the consonance of some words and numbers. 10Q is similar to Thank You, 2ez is similar to Too easy. F2F - to Face to Face (face to face) and in written speech replace these expressions.

Conversational abbreviations

Abbreviations of the most frequently used expressions have almost become a literary norm. They can not only be heard in colloquial speech, but also found in the works of writers or in the words of songs. Their unique feature is that an expression consisting of several words is not only pronounced together, but also written in one word. The words that make up the phrase. I am is shortened to I’m, I have is shortened to I’ve, I will is shortened to I’ll.

There are even shorter options: I had or I would are spoken and written as I’d, You had or you would as You’d, and He is or he has as He’s.

Some slang expressions have acquired a new sound and are written together.

- Everything is fine, thank you!

- Please.

Example: MYOB = mind your own business (mind your own business)

Below you will find a whole list of English abbreviations (in SMS, social networks, forums). Study it thoroughly to understand what English-speaking interlocutors want from you.

As a preface: colloquial abbreviations in English

Of course, it is advisable to use abbreviations of English words only in informal correspondence (personal messages, chats). At the same time, there is a known case when a 13-year-old girl wrote a school essay, almost entirely based on English abbreviations. Here is an excerpt from it, try to read and understand the meaning of what is written:

My smmr hols wr CWOT. B4, we used 2go2 NY 2C my bro, his GF & thr 3:- kids FTF. ILNY, it's a gr8 plc.

Happened? Now read the “translation”:

My summer hols (abbreviated as holidays) were a complete waste of time. Before, we used to go to NY (New York) to see my brother, his girlfriend and their 3 kids face to face. I love New York, it’s a great place.

As you can see, English abbreviations in the letter are built:

• on the use of numbers (4, 8)
• on letter names (R = are, C = see)
• on vowel ejection (smmr = summer)
• on acronyms - a type of abbreviation formed by initial letters (ILNY = I love New York).

So, let's move on to our dictionary of English abbreviations.

His Majesty Slang: deciphering English abbreviations

The article will indicate the translation of abbreviations from English into Russian. But where additional clarification is required, we will provide that too. Enjoy!

0 = nothing

2 = two, to, too (two, preposition to, too)

2DAY = today (today)

2MORO / 2MROW = tomorrow (tomorrow)

2NITE / 2NYT = tonight (tonight, tonight)

2U = to you (to you)

4U = for you (for you)

4E = forever

AFAIK= as far as I know (as far as I know)

ASAP = as soon as possible (at the first opportunity, as soon as possible)

ATB = all the best (all the best)

B = to be

B4 = before (before)

B4N = bye for now (bye, see you)

BAU = business as usual (idiom meaning that things continue as usual despite the difficult situation)

BBL = to be back later (come back later, be later)

BC = because (because)

BF = boyfriend (young man, guy, boyfriend)

BK = back (back, back)

BRB = to be right back (back soon). For example, you are “chatting” with someone, but forced to leave for a while. BRB (back soon), - you write, and go about your business.

BRO = brother

BTW = by the way (by the way, by the way)

BYOB / BYO = to bring your own booze, to bring your own bottle (“with your own alcohol”). Indicated on the invitation when the party host will not provide drinks for guests. By the way, the band System Of A Down has a song B.Y.O.B. (Bring Your Own Bombs instead of Bottle).

C = to see

CIAO = goodbye (goodbye, bye). This abbreviation for correspondence in English is derived from Italian Ciao(and it is pronounced exactly like this - ciao).

COS / CUZ = because (because)

CUL8R = call you later / see you later (I'll call you later / see you later)

CUL = see you later (see you later)

CWOT = complete waste of time

D8 = date (date, date)

DNR = dinner

EOD = end of debate. Used during an argument when you want to stop it: That's it, EOD! (That's it, let's stop arguing!)

EZ = easy (easy, simple, convenient)

F2F / FTF = face to face (face to face)

F8 = fate

FYI = for your information

GF = girlfriend (girlfriend)

GMTA = great minds think alike (the saying “Great minds think alike”). Something like ours “fools think alike” just the other way around :)

GR8 = great (wonderful, excellent, etc.)

GTG = got to go (got to go)

HAND = have a nice day (have a nice day)

HB2U = happy birthday to you (happy birthday)

HOLS = holidays (vacation, vacation)

HRU = how are you (how are you? How are you?)

HV = to have

ICBW = it could be worse (could be worse)

IDK = I dont know (I don’t know)

IDTS = I don’t think so (I don’t think so, I don’t think so, I don’t agree)

ILU / Luv U = I love you (I love you)

IMHO = in my humble opinion (in my humble opinion). Expression has long migrated to our Internet in the form of transliteration IMHO.

IYKWIM = if you know what I mean (if you know what I mean)

JK = just kidding (just kidding, it's a joke)

KDS = kids

KIT = to keep in touch (stay in touch)

KOTC = kiss on the cheek (kiss on the cheek)

L8 = late (late, recently, recently)

L8R = later

LMAO = laughing my ass out (so funny that I laughed off my ass).

LOL = laughing out loud (the meaning is identical to the previous one). This popular English abbreviation is also borrowed from our Internet slang in the form of transliteration LOL.

LSKOL = long slow kiss on the lips (French kiss)

LTNS = long time no see (long time no see)

Example from stickers for Viber

Luv U2 = I love you too (I love you too)

M8 = mate (buddy, friend, dude). Slang word mate- about the same as dude (dude, boy, etc.): Hey, mate, what’s up? (Hey man, how's it going?)

MON = the middle of nowhere (idiom meaning “very far away, in the middle of nowhere”)

MSG = message (message, message)

MTE = my thoughts exactly (you read my thoughts, I think exactly the same)

MU = I miss you (I miss you)

MUSM = I miss you so much (I miss you very much)

MYOB = mind your own business (mind your own business, don’t meddle in other people’s business)

N2S = needless to say (it goes without saying, it’s obvious that...)

NE1 = anyone (anyone, anyone)

NO1 = no one (no one)

NP = no problem (no problem, no problem)

OIC = oh, I see (it’s clear; that’s it). Used in a situation when you want to show your interlocutor that you understand the subject of the conversation.

PC&QT – peace and quiet (peace and quiet). An idiom most often used in the context of wanting a quieter life is: All I want is a little peace and quiet (All I want is a little peace and quiet).

PCM = please call me (please call me)

PLS = please (please)

PS = parents

QT = cutie

R = are (form of verbs to be)

ROFL / ROTFL = rolling of the floor laughing (rolling on the floor laughing)

RUOK = are you ok? (Are you okay? Is everything okay?)

SIS = sister

SKOOL = school (school)

SMMR = summer

SOB = stressed out bad (feel very stressed)

This video has subtitles.

SOM1 = someone

TGIF = thank God it’s Friday (Thank God, today is Friday)

THX = thanks

THNQ = thank you (thank you)

TTYL = talk to you later (let's talk later)

WAN2 = to want to (want)

WKND = weekend

WR = were (form of the verb to be)

WUCIWUG = what you see is what you get (what you see is what you get)

The phrase was used for creative posters for Heinz ketchup

The expression has several meanings:

1. A property of application programs or web interfaces in which content is displayed during editing and appears as closely as possible to the final product (more details).
2. A definition that is used when the speaker wants to show that there is nothing hidden, there are no secrets or pitfalls.

Can be used as a definition an honest and open person:

He is a what-you-see-is-what-you-get kind of person. (He is a “what you see is what you get” type of person)

The idiom can also be used, for example, by salespeople in a store when they assure us that the product we are buying is looks the same as on the display:

The product you are looking at is exactly what you get if you buy it. What you see is what you get. The ones in the box are just like this one. (If you buy this product, you will receive exactly what you see now. The items in the boxes are exactly the same as this one).

X = kiss

XLNT = excellent (excellent, excellent)

XOXO = hugs and kisses (hugs and kisses). More precisely, “hugs and kisses”, if you follow Internet trends :)

YR = your / you’re (your / you + form of the verb to be)

ZZZ.. = to sleep (sleep) The abbreviation is used when a person wants to show the interlocutor that he is already asleep / falling asleep.

Finally: how to understand modern abbreviations in English

As you can see, all English abbreviations on the Internet follow a certain logic, the principles of which we discussed at the beginning of the article. Therefore, it is enough to “scan through them with your eyes” several times, and you will easily be able to use and, most importantly, understand them. CUL8R, M8 :)

Not a single written speech, be it business correspondence or, especially, informal correspondence, is complete without abbreviations and acronyms. Abbreviations in English are also found in colloquial speech - acronyms (abbreviations that have become independent words) such as NASA, NATO, USA or Radar are used. In this article we will talk about the most common abbreviations that you may encounter in English texts.

Table with abbreviations of verb constructions

While studying English tenses, you may have noticed that verb constructions are very rarely written in their full form; abbreviations are much more common. Full forms can most often be found in official texts (legal or scientific literature). Contracted forms have auxiliaries and , as well as the verb be.

Abbreviations of the verb have

Abbreviations of the verb be

Shortened forms of other modal verbs

Slang abbreviations

During informal communication with native speakers, you can often get lost in abbreviations and acronyms, or even completely stop understanding what the interlocutor is talking about. We hope our table will make it easier for you to communicate with English-speaking friends:

Free lesson on the topic:

Irregular English verbs: table, rules and examples

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Common abbreviations

We have long been accustomed to abbreviations in the Russian language and different, etc., singular, p.s., husband. and scientific do not cause any difficulty while reading texts. To make English texts just as easy to read, we have prepared for you a table with the most common written abbreviations and abbreviations:

Abbreviations for Weights and Measures

As in Russian, in English there are a number of abbreviations for measuring weight, time and distance:

Video about abbreviations in English: