What Does HMU Mean (And How to Use It)?
HMU is another of those acronyms that you’ve probably seen on the Internet and had to google for the meaning. People use HMU and other popular abbreviations on the Internet such as NSFW or SMH to express things that are outside the scope of modern language. Using these abbreviations is a great way to quickly and effectively convey your emotions online.
Still, confusing? Find out what HMU stands for, where it came from, and how to properly use the acronym to avoid becoming a fake on social media.
What does HMU mean?
HMU means hit me and is used to invite a person to contact you later. HMU is synonymous with phrases such as “contact me”, “write me”, “call me” or some other version of “contact us to contact us and discuss this later.”
HMU is an acronym you can use to encourage another person to contact you, but not right now. It works great when you want to leave a discreet reminder for the other person, or if you don’t want to lose contact but don’t have time to discuss things right now.
Unlike “text me” or “call me”, HMU is quite versatile and includes any means of communication available to another person. When you use this abbreviation, you leave the choice of the type of follow-up communication at their discretion: whether they want to write you a DM on Instagram or a video call on WhatsApp.
Use examples
HMU is internet slang, so you’ll see it used in online chats, social media, texting, and popular internet memes. One place you’re unlikely to see it is email, unless it’s a quick (and informal) message from someone relatively close to you.
While HMU is commonly used to ask another person to contact you, there are other situations where people use this acronym.
People often use HMU when flirting on the Internet. On dating apps like Tinder, you might see profile descriptions like “hmm, if you like pina colada and get caught in the rain.”
Another way to use HMU is to ask other people for ideas or suggestions. For example, if you want to recommend a restaurant in a new city, you can post on the social network the message “Where should I go to have dinner in X city? Hmu with suggestions. ”
Origin of HMU
Some users attribute the origin of Hit Me Up to pagers – communication devices that were popular in the 90s. The pagers were unable to receive text messages, but instead, they emitted a beep and showed the phone number of the person who was trying to contact you or “called.”
The truth is, the actual origin of the acronym is unknown. Like many other acronyms, one-day HMU just appeared in the Urban Dictionary. Then HMU became a popular online trend and quickly spread all over the Internet.
After HMU became an internet meme, users gave it a second meaning – keep my unicorn. Although on the net it is only used as a joke or a meme.
Since HMU is often used for flirting, the natural development of the acronym has become part of the online dating scene. One of the first results Google will give you when you type in HMU is a rather obnoxious dating site where they offer a number of reviews on other dating apps like Tinder or OkCupid, as well as a number of female-only profiles that look nothing like real people.
If you decide to use this or a similar site for online dating purposes, be sure to check out our guide on how to detect and avoid online scams.
How to use HMU
While you might say “Hit me out loud, but no one will look at you,†HMU is reserved for internet use only. There are different ways of using this acronym in everyday communication, depending on the situation and context.
Use HMU in text messages
The most common way you see other people using HMU and other similar abbreviations is instant messaging apps. There are no hard and fast rules for the correct spelling of an acronym. Here are the options you are most likely to see on the Internet:
- HMU. Used alone and in capital letters to indicate the urgency of a message or contact request.
- hmu. Use this version if you want to be part of the growing trend to write everything in lowercase to make it sound more casual or casual.
- HMU at the beginning or at the end of the message. Using an acronym in your post is probably the best way to use it unless you want the other person to misunderstand you.
Use HMU for human feedback
HMU is not always used in its original form. One of the variants of this acronym is HYU, which means “hit you” – the opposite of HMU. You can use it in a text reply to someone if you want them to reply to them.
Use HMU as GIF or Meme
On social media or when exchanging messages with friends, you can use GIFs or memes to convey the same meaning as the HMU. With tools like GIPHY now integrated into most social media apps, all you have to do is open the conversation you want, find the option to send GIFs in the chat window, and type HMU into the search bar.
If you want to add a little humor to your conversation, you can find HMU memes on the Internet and share them in chat. Alternatively, you can create your own HMU memes using one of the dedicated online tools.
Start using shortcuts in your everyday communication
Talking to someone online is often different from talking to someone in real life. So why not have some fun and add some interesting shortcuts, emoticons, GIFs, and other means of conveying your message.
Have you come across the acronym HMU before? What other abbreviations do you use in online communication? Share your experience with online slang in the comments below.
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