Ukrainian Youth Slang: A Dictionary of Modern Words and Terms
Kyiv • UNN
Youth slang is a collection of informal words and expressions used by young people for self-identification and language experimentation. Adults should be open to new things, listen to teenagers, and not be afraid to ask about the meaning of unfamiliar words.
Youth slang plays an important role in the process of personality formation during adolescence. Specific and often incomprehensible words and phrases to older people allow teenagers to separate themselves from the adult world and create their own subculture, thus taking their place in society. We tell you about the most famous words of modern youth slang and how adults should react to them in the UNN material.
Youth slang
Youth slang is a set of informal words and expressions used by young people in everyday communication. Slang is constantly changing and adapting to new conditions and influences. This makes it dynamic and diverse.
Slang allows teenagers to feel a sense of belonging to a certain group. This is extremely important for their self-identification.
From a psychological point of view, Ukrainian youth slang allows teenagers to experiment with language, show creativity, and establish social contacts. This specific language also performs a protective function and helps to avoid direct confrontations with adults. Among teenagers, slang becomes a language of trust and intimacy, while in relation to adults, it can be a means of protection from interference in their affairs.
Youth slang dictionary
Zashkvar - in youth slang, this word means something shameful, unfashionable, unpleasant. It can be an act, an event, or an object that does not correspond to generally accepted opinions and expectations of others.
Loys - a distorted synonym for the word "like", i.e., a mark of approval under a photo or post on social networks, indicating that the content on the Internet was liked. This distortion of the word is intentional. Like came from Facebook, and Loys was invented by VKontakte users.
Roflit - what does it mean: to joke about someone or something, to have fun. The word comes from the English ROFL - rolling on the floor laughing.
Troll - to mock, ridicule, incite with the aim of unbalancing a person, causing anger, tears, insults. Trolling is provocative, inciting actions on the Internet or in real life. Its main goal is to provoke a conflict.
Fake - deception, falsification. The literal translation from English fake - counterfeit, false, erroneous. Adults mainly encounter fake news, and children on the Internet - fake websites, videos and photos, fake accounts on social networks.
Facepalm - a non-verbal way of expressing shame, disappointment, despair, or embarrassment (depending on the context). Facepalm is derived from the English facepalm (face "face" + palm "palm").
Hype - in simple words, it is a fuss, an excitement around some event or person. Initially, the word "hype" meant aggressive advertising, but now in youth slang, it is used to denote PR around any person or topic.
Hate - to hate (from English - hate). This word actively means dissatisfaction. Most often, this concept is used on the Internet and means writing comments that humiliate the honor and dignity of the interlocutor.
Action - dynamic, rapidly developing events. The term comes from cinematography and computer games, where there is such a genre.
Cringe - a situation or action that causes a feeling of awkwardness or shame. The word comes from the English cringe - "to shrink", "to fold" from shame.
Flexing - behaving boastfully, defiantly, pretending to be someone you are not.
Sus - suspicious, dangerous. The word comes from the English sus, a shortening of suspicious.
Bombing - to be very indignant, to lose self-control. For example: "I'm bombing from this homework."
Kek - ironic laughter, gloating over someone who got into a ridiculous situation. Often "kek" refers to the situation itself or the person.
Nawalyuvaty - to read a lecture, scold for something, or educate for a long time. As a rule, it is used in relation to teachers and parents who try to educate teenagers and tire them with "unnecessary" conversations.
Topchik - the best option among the proposed or possible ones.
Mimi - something very cute, attractive. The highest degree of "cuteness".
Youth slang: how parents should react
Without exaggeration, for many parents and teachers, youth slang becomes a real challenge. Not understanding the words teenagers use, adults feel disconnected from their children's lives. This can create an additional barrier to communication and mutual understanding.
On the other hand, knowing and understanding teenage slang gives parents the opportunity to better understand their children, and also contributes to more open and trusting communication. It is also important to choose the right words to praise children, which can contribute to the development of self-esteem, motivation, and interaction skills.
Trends show that slang is constantly changing and adapting to new conditions. Words popular a few years ago may lose their relevance and be replaced by new expressions. Therefore, parents and teachers should be attentive and keep abreast of these changes to stay informed about communicating with teenagers.
How to adapt to youth slang: tips
Adults should be open to new things. It should be borne in mind that youth slang is a natural part of language development. It should not be perceived as something negative. Rather, as a phenomenon that contributes to personal development.
It is necessary to be attentive and observant. Listen to how children or students speak. Observe their reaction to certain words and phrases. This will help to better understand the context and meaning of slang.
Don't be ashamed to ask and inquire. If an adult doesn't understand a word, don't be afraid to ask. Most teenagers are happy to explain the meaning of new words if they see genuine interest.
It will be useful to use resources. There are many resources on the Internet that will help you learn new words and expressions. For example, online dictionaries of youth slang, forums, and social networks can be useful sources of information.
Don't be ashamed to insert slang into your own communication. Using youth slang can bring you closer to teenagers. This shows that adults are interested in the world of children and teenagers and are ready for an open dialogue.