Storms are not as bad as Gen Z grammar

Creativity in communication

Slang is often short and concise, suitable for the fast-paced communication of the digital world. New phrases are constantly being created on platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Threads, etc. to create humor, gradually becoming a part of the daily communication of Gen Z. Gen Z uses slang as a way to express their personality, style, to connect with friends and online culture.

Ms. Dinh Huong Tra (born in 2004, in Hai Duong City, a student at Hanoi University of Business and Technology) said that she often uses slang in daily communication to create intimacy in conversations. To refuse something, instead of saying “no”, she says “hong”, “khum” or “hem”. Or when meeting friends for coffee, instead of complimenting her friend “you look so pretty today”, she says “you look quite gentle today”. According to her, saying this “makes you sound closer and more cute”.

Ms. Tra uses slang in daily communication and especially when texting with friends. Even when talking to her mother, she sometimes says a few slang words and her mother still understands. "Because my mother also uses TikTok, she knows those hot trend words," Ms. Tra added.

Meanwhile, Mr. Le Quoc Dung (born in 2000, in Tu Minh ward, Hai Duong city) uses slang more moderately. He determines that only close friends use this language. He absolutely does not use slang to communicate with relatives, colleagues or new friends. Because according to him, in work, it is necessary to use standard Vietnamese language.

Also upholding the standard of Vietnamese, Ms. Nghiem Thi Ha (born in 2006, former student of Chu Van An High School, Hai Duong City) has the habit of texting completely, clearly, and with correct spelling. However, her friends reported that texting like that makes the conversation too serious, sometimes feeling tense. Therefore, she has adjusted her word usage, occasionally adding some Gen Z slang to make the conversation more fun.

According to many other Gen Zers, using slang when talking to friends of the same generation, with a certain level of familiarity, makes the conversation lighter, more humorous and closer.

Research by a linguistics expert shows that the slang generation system of young people is divided into two main processes: slang generation by combining words and slang generation by other special features.

This process can be divided into categories: using slang through spelling changes, using slang gestures, using words that imitate natural sounds, and using symbols and numbers.

For example, "bánh bèo" is slang by combining words; "oppa" is slang by borrowing from foreign languages; " Của kao " is slang by changing the final consonant; " câm cảm lê nhiu " is slang by changing the vowel...

Confused because I haven't caught the trend yet

Every year, Gen Z's slang collection is supplemented with many new words. "8386", "manifest", "hong hai nhi", "dieu kha", "dinh coi, tich tran, bay phap phoi"... are slang words that have taken social networks by storm recently.

Working at a media and technology company, Mr. D.H. (8x generation, in Sao Do ward, Chi Linh city) has the opportunity to meet many dynamic and creative Gen Z young people. At a year-end party, his subordinates wished him “8386 forever, forever, forever”. He was confused and did not understand the meaning of that wish, the young people laughed and explained to him that the number “8386” means prosperity and wealth.

Based on Sino-Vietnamese pronunciation, the number 8 sounds similar to "phat", similar to the number 3 with "tai" and the number 6 with "loc". The "8386" trend originated from the "internet phenomenon" Duong Gio Tai, with the formula "wishing (someone) 8386, forever at the top, forever at the top, forever at the top". This wish was quickly enthusiastically responded to by young people, spreading from TikTok to other platforms.

Ms. Hoang Huong Lan (born in 2002, in Cam Dong commune, Cam Giang) also encountered a similar "half-crying, half-laughing" situation because she could not keep up with the trend. Although she belongs to Gen Z, due to the nature of her job in the state sector, interacting mainly with older people, she uses standard language and rarely updates new words of young people.

Once when posting a photo on social media, she saw her friends commenting “top of the roof, ceiling high, fluttering”, she did not understand what her friend meant. Then she had to search online to find out the meaning of this phrase to compliment her photo. Feeling that she was behind in not keeping up with Gen Z language trends, she often surfed TikTok, and when she didn’t understand a word, she read the comments to see if people could explain it.

The use of slang can be confusing and misunderstanding for those who are not familiar with it, especially the older generation or outsiders. In addition, overuse of slang can destroy the inherent beauty of Vietnamese, affecting the ability to use standard language in formal situations.

Slang is often simplistic and symbolic, limiting the ability to express complex ideas or deep emotions. Particularly in academic or professional settings, the habit of using slang can be seen as unserious and affect one's personal image.

Therefore, depending on the subject and situation, Gen Z should use appropriate words and language to avoid abusing slang. At the same time, avoid losing the beauty and purity of Vietnamese.