Emma: 10 abbreviations you should know

Feb 252014

RSVP? ASAP? Etc.? What do these letters mean? In this vocabulary lesson, I will explain and give examples of ten common abbreviations, such as RIP, BYOB, and PIN. I will also teach the difference between i.e., e.g., and etc.. Watch this video ASAP to find out more!

Learn English: 10 abbreviations you should know video

_______Show Transcript______

Hello. My name is Emma, and in today’s video, we are going to talk about 10 abbreviations you should know.

So first of all, what is an abbreviation? Well, here’s a clue in the word. You have the word “brev”. “Brev” — in other words, “brevity” — it means to be short. So abbreviations are words or sentences that we have made short, usually to save time. So for example, ASAP, RSVP, RIP, BYOB, BBQ — you see the pattern? We have capital letters, and they all stand for something that’s longer. So it’s a short form of a word or a sentence. So let’s look at ten common abbreviations.

So the first one we have, “ASAP”. What does this mean? “As soon as possible”, okay? We use this a lot when we’re writing emails, letters, sometimes in conversation. “As soon as possible” is long, so when we don’t want to say “as soon as possible”, we can shorten it to “ASAP”. What are some examples? “Email me ASAP.” “Take our quiz ASAP.” “Go see the principal ASAP.” So it just means to do something as quickly as you can. And this is a very common expression.

Our second abbreviation, “RSVP”. What does it mean, “RSVP”? It means, “Please reply.” Okay? So we often use this if you’re invited to something. If, for example, I’m having a birthday party, and I want all of you to come, I would ask you to RSVP. “Please RSVP by Friday.” This means, “Please reply. Please tell me you’re coming by Friday.” “Please RSVP as soon as you can.” “Please RSVP by next Saturday.” So it means, again, “Please send me a reply so I know you’re coming.” You, again, see this on invitations, any type of invite, you will see this.

Our next common abbreviation, RIP. You may have seen this before. It means, “Rest in peace.” So when somebody passes away — when somebody dies — often on their tombstone, you’ll see “RIP”, which stands for, “Rest in peace”. If you’re on Facebook, and someone you know, maybe they lose a member of their family, they will often write, “RIP Fluffy” if it’s a cat; “RIP whoever it is”. And it means, “Rest in peace.” Okay? So this one has to do with dying and death.

No. 4, “BYOB”. This is common when we’re talking about parties. And it means, “Bring your own beer” or “bring your own booze”. Beer, booze — they’re both alcoholic drinks. So “booze” is any drink with alcohol in it. And so what that means is if you’re invited to a party, maybe the host doesn’t have any alcoholic drinks, so they will tell you, “Bring your own drinks.” “Bring your own beer.” “Bring your own wine.” “BYOB” means “bring your own alcohol”. Okay? So it’s a very common expression for parties.

No. 5, “BBQ”. “BBQ” means “barbecue”. What’s a “barbecue”? It’s a way we cook meat. It’s a way we cook food. You usually have a grill. You put maybe hamburgers, hot dogs on the grill. You barbecue them. You can eat barbecued chicken, different types of barbecue. So “BBQ” refers to a type of food or a party where they will serve hamburgers and hot dogs. So let’s check out five more abbreviations.