What does ‘tfw’ mean? What to know if you’re unsure how to use the term when texting

The generation gap has been a thing throughout human history. There is always something in the younger generation that, the older one needs to learn about. Today, the digital age has given birth to new slang unlike anything seen before. One of them is ‘TFW’ – an abbreviation with multiple meanings. New-age slangs are abbreviations and they probably originated from needing to type phrases as quickly as possible. As a result, conversations are precise and concise. However, this also means that the dictionary grows larger each day. For someone not too tech-savvy, it is extremely easy to become lost and confused while communicating online.

Moreover, even if you are not using them directly, it will do well to understand what younger people in your care are talking about. With everything that happens through social media, parents may often be at a loss when trouble arises. Your ward may be engaging in dubious conversations and you would not even know even if they showed them to you. Of course, spying should never be encouraged, but being a bit aware of what kind of talks the younger members of your family engage in will help.

The Meaning Of ‘tfw’

If you’re in the dark when it comes to this term, you’re not along, but knowledge is power. Who knows it may come in handy when chatting with friends and family or while taking in some the latest TikTok trends. Now to get into the meaning and usage of ‘tfw’. As per Merriam-Webster, ‘tfw’ can mean one of three phases: “That feeling when”; “That feel when”; or “That face when”. Some examples apart from ‘tfw’ that you might have encountered are ‘iykiyk’ and ‘ily’.

Regardless of which word is chosen in the middle, the general meaning of the phrase remains the same. The abbreviation is usually used on social media platforms to express relatability. Almost always, there will be a photo, video, or gif accompanying the abbreviation to let the viewer relate to a particular feeling or emotion regarding a situation. The situation may be something completely mundane like your daily run-of-the-mill desk job, or it can be something niche, like a cultural or fandom experience.

Here are a few examples where the phrase is used, to help you understand: “Tfw when you get home after a long shift”; “Tfw you finally get a reply after being left on read for nine hours”; “Tfw the paycheck hits”.

Other Common Abbreviations You Should Know

Now that you know about ‘tfw’, here are some more than might catch you off-guard at first glance:

143: “I Love You”. We know it’s a number depicting a phrase. The numbers stand for the number of alphabets in each word of the phrase: I = 1; love = 4; and you = 3. Ingenious, right?
ADN: “Any Day Now”. It represents anticipating an inevitable moment or situation that is expected to happen soon.
AFK: “Away From Keyboard”. This originates from online multiplayer games. It stands to denote a player who is away from their keyboard and thus is not in front of their computer to respond or play. It denotes general inactivity on the internet.
BRB: “Be Right Back”. A simple abbreviation to communicate that they will return to chatting or whatever they were engaged in, in a few short moments.
DM: “Direct Message”. This also means messaging privately. Social media platforms allow users to exchange comments that everyone could see on public posts. They also let users chat 1-on-1 without anyone else knowing. The latter is direct or private messaging.

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