A guide to not acting sus when talking to Zoomers.
If your head hurts from reading TikTok comments, no cap, we need to update your dictionary. The truth is, any language is dynamic—it has been and will keep evolving as long as humans do.
Gen Z or, informally, Zoomers are now the CEOs of inventing and reinventing words—the way millennials, Gen Xers, boomers, and the generations before them did. The main difference is that Zoomers are the first true digital natives. It’s not surprising that that today’s language evolves faster in the era of emojis, viral memes, and content creation.
It is also inevitable that you’ll engage in conversation with a Gen Z whether in the workplace, at a café, or a in random Facebook group.
Instead of being salty the next time you come across Gen Z slang, here’s how you can or cannot respond (ngl, some explanations may seem impossible to understand but keep trying!).
Carps?
Carps—short for “carpet” and synonymous with “rugs”—somehow, in this universe, translates to r u g (are you game)? It’s a casual invitation to any activity. So, when a youngster comes to you and say “pobla tonight, carps?”, play it cool and reply, “g”. This term is exclusive to Filipino Zoomers, though, as it was supposedly a fun play at our kids’ communication habits online.
Fit
Let’s say you reply with “g” to “pobla tonight, carps?” Then your Gen Z friend goes, “bro check my fit for tonight.” In a more normal conversation, you may think they refer to being fit or their physique. They just actually wanna do a “fit check,” asking what you think of their outfit, to which you can say “bro, your top ate.”
You ate (and left no crumbs)
You ate is the new way to give a compliment. In the context of fit check, it just means the top looks really good. It has evolved and now has an extension “and left no crumbs” which is sort of the superlative form of it. As in eating and leaving not a trace of it. You get it.
Vibe check
Your corporate roots would tell you to check your messages on Viber. Don’t. The term relates to the word vibe (the equivalent of the now archaic term mood) and means to just gauge the overall feeling, emotion, or impression. You may say, “I like the vibe of this pub!” when describing the place you and your friends decide to go to.
It may also be used when you’re meeting a new person or when doing something for the first time. For instance, “he passed the vibe check!” means affirmation of someone’s personality.
Updated Abbreviations: IJBOL, OOMF, NGL, IYKYK, Sus
Par for the course, Zoomers also have their own set of abbreviations which have been staples since the beginning of the web. Yes, even the oldest OG internet slang “LOL” has been marked obsolete. It’s now IJBOL (I just burst out laughing).
OOMF – No it’s not an interjection equivalent to oopsies! It stands for one of your followers on any of your social media pages.
NGL – Not gonna lie. The new version of tbh (to be honest) or honestly, used to give a remark or opinion.
IYKYK – If you know, you know.IYKWIM (if you know what I mean) also has also been updated, mostly used when there’s a tea that cannot be spilled or to emphasize an inside joke.
Sus – Suspicious. It was most frequently used in the popular mobile game “Among Us,” where players observe the behavior of each other to figure out the impostor. It now describes someone who is acting weird or no themselves. “The seller was really sus.”
More Filipino slang
To understand Filipino slang in general, you need to be familiar with Filipino culture and follow the trending topics online. Here are some of them:
Pi
No, it doesn’t have anything to do with mathematics. It’s literally a misspelled pinoy honorifics po. As in “cute mo pi.”
Omsim
If you’re bored of using affirmative expressions like exactly or true, try omsim, a Filipino term mismo spelled backwards which is used to agree with conviction.
Amaccana Accla
It’s a wordplay at “Tama ka na na, Bakla,” which is used to call out a problematic behavior. In this context, Accla is used as a universal term to refer to anyone, regardless of gender.
Learning the modern language can be a bit intimidating, and annoying at times, especially words and meanings can completely change within weeks. But when you start to get the gist of it and become familiar with the culture, technology, and context that shape these ever-changing jargon, it can be fun—and useful too!
