Today, young people use their own vocabulary, which is often confusing for adults. If words like “reuss”, “aura”, “chockbar”, “guez” or “cringe” completely escape you, don’t panic. Here is a little 2026 version dictionary to understand their language, and a quiz to check your new knowledge!
Difficult to follow the language of teenagers? Rest assured, you are not alone. Young people use expressions that often require real translation, including in their messages. Certain terms, such as “PLS”, “ghoster”, “bader” or “crush”, have even made their way into the dictionary since then. Most of these words come from social media, music or rap. To help you find your way, here is an updated version of the teen vocabulary of the year.
The SMS language of teenagers in 2026
- NPC : used mainly in video games, this term means “non-playable character”
- POV : point of view
- Askip: abbreviation of “so it seems”.
- Bz: abbreviation of “fucked”, to mean that something is extraordinary (e.g. “I ate a bz burger”)
- JPP : I can’t take it anymore
- TMTC : Yourself, you know.
- Tkt : Don’t worry.
- Tfk : What are you doing ?
- OKLM: be “calm”.
- JDCJDR : I say that, I say nothing.
The expressions of our teenagers that mean nothing
- Ratio : being humiliated by a user if the number of likes or comments on their message is high
- All whippin : means “to be completely off topic”
- Aura – 1000 or Aura + 1000 : the negative version is used when a situation harms a person, and the positive version is used when a situation is favorable.
- Skeu Skeu : expression associated with a dance step created by three friends on Tiktok: Jogga, Wilso and 7ia. “We communicate in the Skeu skeu”, “they want us Skeu skeu”… Teenagers repeat these two words over and over again.
- Whatcoubeh : popularized on Tiktok, when we ask the question “what?”, generally to repeat a sentence, the interlocutor then responds “Quoicoubeh”. The principle is the same as in our time, when we answered “feur” to finish the word “Coi-Ffeur.
- Apayinye : after saying “Whatcoubeh”the person opposite responds mechanically “Huh?” and the interlocutor then pronounces “Apayinye” to further confuse the individual’s mind.
Terms to talk about a person
- A gadji or a gadjo: a girl, a boy
- Goat : comes from the English “greatest of all time”, it is used to designate a person who is the best in their field
- Sigma (or Sigma boy): refers to someone who is independent, who lives by their own rules
- Yes yes Endrick : invented by a Tiktoker, this expression describes a person who is “old”, the great with his references to the old
- Crush : designates a person for whom we have a crush
- THE : means “blood”, said of a very close friend, whom we love like family
- Reuf or success : brother or sister, can also be used to designate a close friend
- Thug : said of a boss, someone tough, a thug, a gangster… Also said of someone who transgresses the rules (without great seriousness). Example : “you’re a thug, you passed me in line!”
- Bestah : from the English “Best Friend”, best friend. This is the evolution of the BFF of the 2000s
- Charo : a womanizer
- Pick me: refers to a woman who seeks attention from men, even if it means denigrating other women
- BDG: literally “gadii bandeur”, a man who flutters (also called a woman with BDH, “man bandeuse”, often in a pejorative and sexist context)
- Boloss : said of someone who is not particularly quick-witted
- Cassos : literally social case
- Go: a girl
- My gow: my girlfriend, my girlfriend
- A keystroke: a person of good taste
- A tchoin: refers to an easy girl, some rappers use this term to refer to prostitutes
- Magl: contraction of “my face” to say “my friend”
- Michto: is also said of a person who does things out of interest (a term often used in a derogatory and sexist context)
Terms related to emotions
- Shockbar: be shocked
- Cringe: taken from English, this word means “annoying”, “uncomfortable”
- We blow : illustrates the famous “pff” when something or a person annoys us
- It’s Hess : it’s a hassle, it’s loose
- Sheesh: used to express surprise or, on the contrary, disappointment
- Bader: feeling sad, melancholy. Ex : “I’m totally bad at the moment”
- Being in PLS: from “safe side position”, not feeling very well
- Yomb: angry, for example “I’m yomb, I lost my cell phone”
- Hitting bars : laugh, burst out laughing
- WTF: from the English “What The Fuck” which expresses incomprehension
- To be sauced: be enthusiastic
- I am rapta / I am seriously blue: I’m drunk on alcohol
- I ban you: I’m taking you off my list (to ban)
Terms for a situation or behavior
- It’s the D : synonymous with “shit” (Ex: “It’s really the D at the moment”)
- Guez : to say “it’s rubbish”
- banger : which means “it’s exceptional, it’s great”. For example, “this film is a real banger”
- Jaja : means “never”, often used in the expression “like jaja”
- Slai: is said of someone who has style, who has achieved something (Ex: “Your outfit is slay today”)
- It’s Gucci : which means “it’s cool”, “it’s all good, the situation is ideal”
- Red flag : designates one or more character traits of a person who poses a problem. So it is better to stay away from this person. Ex : “He manipulated my girlfriend, red flag.”
- Dead that: is used as a compliment, congratulations after a success (“I passed that on the math test this morning”)
- Ghoster : from the English “ghost” for ghost, is said of a person who no longer gives any news of them from one day to the next. Ex : “he, she ghosted me without explanation”
- Djomb : is said of a person who we find “hot”, beautiful, more vulgarly for some “good”. It is the title of a song by Bosh which popularized this term among the younger generation
- There is R: there is nothing
- YOLO: You only live once, the new version of carpe diem
- Soumsoum (in): By submarine, discreetly
- It’s downgraded: something that is very very good
- Dar: Awesome ! In situation: “holidays are too darn”
- Swag: said of someone stylish. Ex : “he’s got the swag”
- Care : beautiful. Ex : “Have you seen my new jacket? She’s too caring.”
- Pass the cream: that things are going well
- Belek: injunction to be careful (comes from the Arabic belec)
- In addition: verlan of the word speed, an action that is done very quickly
- Who “takes his life”: which takes time
- Be “cart“: running out of time
Young people’s terms for various actions
- Spoilers: from the English “to spoil” which means “to spoil”, a key element of the plot of a series, film or book is revealed
- Pranker: This term is used to trap a loved one or relative on video. In our time, it was a hidden camera!
- Poucave, Pookie: bring something back to someone, swing
- Get excited: get in shape, party. Ex : “Saturday, we’re going to have fun at Brice’s party.”
- Grailler: eat
- Bicrave: sell
- Balec: abbreviation for “not to give a damn”, or not to be interested in something
- To be in I, to be in Y : do two-wheel stunts in I or Y
Words to talk about things in life
- Moula, moulaga: sorrel, silver
- Lease: thing. Ex : “What are leases?”: “What’s happening?”
- Se LeBron James: taken from the name of the famous American basketball player, this expression means “to masturbate”
- Bif: money, abbreviation of the word bifton (billet)
- Blase: coming from the term coat of arms, blase designates the name of a person or artist
- Coal: to work
- Zdeg: muscle. Fairly localized expression.
- Bédave : smoke a joint, a bedo
- Bendo : the city, the neighborhood
- A gova : a car
