The Complete Gen Z Translation Guide: When Words Don't Mean What You Think They Mean

byMonse

949 followers

2 months ago

Hello Wealthy Affiliate Community!

After the "beef incident" (which my daughter STILL brings up daily), I promised you a full list of Gen Z phrases that sound like one thing but mean something completely different.

I've been taking notes. My teenager has been "fact-checking" me (her words). And honestly? The language gap is even WIDER than I thought.

Buckle up. This is going to be a wild ride.

FOOD WORDS THAT AREN'T ABOUT FOOD

"That's fire" / "That's heat"

What I thought: Something's burning? Should I call 911?
What it actually means: That's really good/awesome/impressive
Used in a sentence: "Your new website design is fire!"
My confusion level: 8/10 (kept looking for smoke)

"This slaps"

What I thought: Violence? Aggressive behavior?
What it actually means: This is really good (usually music or food)
Used in a sentence: "This playlist slaps!"
My confusion level: 9/10 (genuinely concerned for safety)

"It's bussin'"

What I thought: Public transportation reference
What it actually means: It's really good (almost always about food)
Used in a sentence: "These tacos are bussin'!"
My confusion level: 7/10 (offered to drive her places)

"That hits different"

What I thought: Impact? Physics?
What it actually means: That's uniquely good in a specific context
Used in a sentence: "Hot chocolate hits different in winter"
My confusion level: 6/10 (less confusing, still weird)

"I ate that" / "You ate"

What I thought: Someone had a meal
What it actually means: Did something exceptionally well
Used in a sentence: "You ate that presentation!"
My confusion level: 10/10 (I asked what she had for lunch)

"Serving"

What I thought: Waitstaff duties
What it actually means: Looking really good, presenting yourself well
Used in a sentence: "She's serving looks today"
My confusion level: 5/10 (context helped, eventually)

SEEMINGLY VIOLENT WORDS THAT AREN'T

"I'm dead" / "I'm deceased"

What I thought: CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY
What it actually means: That's hilarious
Used in a sentence: "That meme has me dead 💀"
My confusion level: 11/10 (actual panic the first time)

"Slay"

What I thought: Medieval combat
What it actually means: Do something exceptionally well
Used in a sentence: "Go slay that interview!"
My confusion level: 8/10 (very concerned about violence)

"Destroyed" / "Wrecked"

What I thought: Property damage
What it actually means: Extremely funny or overwhelmed (emotionally)
Used in a sentence: "That joke destroyed me"
My confusion level: 7/10 (insurance questions were asked)

"Killed it"

What I thought: Homicide report needed
What it actually means: Performed excellently
Used in a sentence: "You killed that dance routine!"
My confusion level: 6/10 (context helps here too)

PROPERTY/LIVING SITUATION WORDS

"Living rent-free in my head"

What I thought: Housing crisis discussion
What it actually means: Can't stop thinking about something/someone
Used in a sentence: "That embarrassing moment is living rent-free in my head"
My confusion level: 9/10 (started talking about rental markets)

"Owns" / "Owned"

What I thought: Legal property ownership
What it actually means: Dominated/excelled at something OR got embarrassed
Used in a sentence: "She owns that stage" or "You just got owned"
My confusion level: 5/10 (multiple meanings make it tricky)

WORDS ABOUT TRUTH & LIES

"No cap"

What I thought: Hat-related statement
What it actually means: No lie / For real / I'm being serious
Used in a sentence: "That test was hard, no cap"
My confusion level: 8/10 (told her to wear a hat outside)

"Cap" / "That's cap"

What I thought: Still about hats
What it actually means: That's a lie / That's false
Used in a sentence: "You said you'd be here at 6—that's cap!"
My confusion level: 8/10 (the hat confusion continues)

"Facts" / "Fax"

What I thought: Actual facts (or office equipment)
What it actually means: I agree completely / That's true
Used in a sentence: "Pizza is better than salad." "Facts."
My confusion level: 3/10 (pretty straightforward once you know)

EMOTIONAL/VIBE WORDS

"It's giving..."

What I thought: Incomplete sentence—I kept waiting
What it actually means: It has the vibe/energy of...
Used in a sentence: "This outfit is giving main character energy"
My confusion level: 10/10 (SO MUCH WAITING)

"The vibe" / "Vibing"

What I thought: Vibrations? Music thing?
What it actually means: The overall feeling/atmosphere OR enjoying the moment
Used in a sentence: "I'm just vibing" or "The vibe is off"
My confusion level: 4/10 (not too bad actually)

"Energy"

What I thought: Physical energy/electricity
What it actually means: The aura/attitude someone or something gives off
Used in a sentence: "She has main character energy"
My confusion level: 5/10 (context-dependent)

"Mood"

What I thought: Emotional state
What it actually means: Relatable / I feel that
Used in a sentence: sees meme about being tired "Mood."
My confusion level: 6/10 (shortened from "that's a mood")

STATUS/VALIDATION WORDS

"Valid"

What I thought: Legally/officially acceptable
What it actually means: Acceptable/justified/understandable
Used in a sentence: "Your feelings are valid"
My confusion level: 4/10 (close to actual meaning)

"Understood the assignment"

What I thought: Completed homework correctly
What it actually means: Nailed it/exceeded expectations
Used in a sentence: "Her outfit? She understood the assignment."
My confusion level: 5/10 (school context threw me off)

"Main character"

What I thought: Literary term
What it actually means: Acting like you're the protagonist/being confident
Used in a sentence: "She's got main character energy today"
My confusion level: 3/10 (fairly intuitive)

APPEARANCE/STYLE WORDS

"Drip"

What I thought: Water leak
What it actually means: Style/fashion sense
Used in a sentence: "Your shoes have drip!"
My confusion level: 9/10 (checked for leaks)

"Fit"

What I thought: Physical fitness OR clothing size
What it actually means: Outfit
Used in a sentence: "Your fit is fire today!"
My confusion level: 6/10 (context eventually helped)

"Clean"

What I thought: Hygiene/tidiness
What it actually means: Stylish/well put together
Used in a sentence: "Those sneakers are clean!"
My confusion level: 5/10 (assumed she meant literally clean)

WEIRD ONES THAT BROKE MY BRAIN

"Bet"

What I thought: Gambling
What it actually means: Okay/sure/sounds good/I agree
Used in a sentence: "Want to go to the mall?" "Bet."
My confusion level: 7/10 (kept asking what the wager was)

"Say less"

What I thought: Stop talking
What it actually means: I'm already on board/you don't need to convince me
Used in a sentence: "Want pizza for dinner?" "Say less."
My confusion level: 8/10 (thought I was talking too much)

"Lowkey" / "Highkey"

What I thought: Something about keys or volume
What it actually means: Somewhat/kind of (lowkey) OR very much/obviously (highkey)
Used in a sentence: "I'm lowkey tired" or "I highkey love this song"
My confusion level: 7/10 (the logic is backwards from what I expected)

"Hits"

What I thought: Physical contact
What it actually means: Plural of hit (good songs/things)
Used in a sentence: "This artist only makes hits"
My confusion level: 4/10 (music context helped)

"W" / "L"

What I thought: Letters of the alphabet
What it actually means: Win (good) / Loss (bad)
Used in a sentence: "That's a W" or "Taking the L on this one"
My confusion level: 6/10 (abbreviations are everywhere now)

"Period" / "Periodt"

What I thought: End of sentence punctuation
What it actually means: End of discussion/final statement/emphasis
Used in a sentence: "This is the best pizza, period."
My confusion level: 3/10 (pretty close to regular meaning)

THE ONES THAT STILL CONFUSE ME

"Sheesh"

What I thought: Expression of frustration
What it actually means: Wow/impressive (usually positive)
Used in a sentence: "Sheesh, those shoes are fire!"
My confusion level: ONGOING (the tone changes everything)

"Mid"

What I thought: Middle/medium
What it actually means: Mediocre/not that good
Used in a sentence: "That movie was mid"
My confusion level: 5/10 (intuitive but harsh)

"Sus"

What I thought: Short for suspect
What it actually means: Suspicious/questionable (BUT also used jokingly)
Used in a sentence: "That's sus" (could be serious OR joking)
My confusion level: 6/10 (tone is EVERYTHING here)

HOW TO ACTUALLY USE THIS INFORMATION

For Parents:

DON'T: Try to use all this slang to sound cool
DO: Understand what your kids are saying
BONUS: Occasionally use one correctly for comedy gold

For Content Creators:

DON'T: Force Gen Z language into your content if you're not Gen Z
DO: Understand these terms so you don't accidentally misuse them
BONUS: Use them authentically if they fit your brand voice

For Everyone Else:

DON'T: Mock the language evolution
DO: Recognize this is how language has ALWAYS worked
BONUS: Enjoy the learning process (it's actually fascinating)

Real Talk: Why This Matters

Language evolves. Every generation creates their own vocabulary. It's not about Gen Z being "weird"—it's about them creating community through shared language.

We did the same thing. Remember:

• "Rad"
• "Tubular"
• "All that and a bag of chips"
• "As if!"
• "Talk to the hand"

Our parents were just as confused. Now it's our turn.

My Survival Tips

1. Ask questions without judgment - "What does that mean?" is your friend
2. Context is everything - Same word can mean different things based on tone
3. Don't try too hard - Nothing ages you faster than misusing slang
4. Stay curious - Language evolution is actually cool
5. Laugh at yourself - You WILL get it wrong. That's okay.

The Ultimate Test

I showed this list to my daughter. Her response?

"This is giving trying-too-hard-but-we-appreciate-the-effort energy, no cap. You ate with some of these, but some are giving old. Still, it slaps that you're learning. That's a W, period."

I... I think that's positive? Pretty sure? Maybe 70% positive?

See? I'm still learning.

Your Turn!

Drop a comment with:

1. Which of these surprised you most?
2. Which ones do YOU still not understand?
3. What Gen Z phrase have you hilariously misused?

Let's learn together. Because honestly, by the time we master this list, Gen Z will have invented 47 new phrases.

Such is life.

P.S. My daughter says this guide "slaps" and that I "understood the assignment" but also that some of it is "giving millennial trying to decode Gen Z" energy. I'll take it as a solid B+.

P.P.S. She also added that calling anything a "B+" is "giving old teacher vibes." Noted.

P.P.P.S. Apparently I shouldn't use "P.P.P.S." either. The generational gap continues.

Next week: How to tell when Gen Z is using a word sarcastically vs. seriously (because that's ANOTHER whole layer of confusion).

Stay tuned, and may your Gen Z translations be ever accurate!