Decoding Gen Alpha: 5 slang terms kids are using these days (and what they mean)

kAmw6C6 2C6 D@>6 @7 E96 D=2?8 E6C>D J@F’C6 =:<6=J E@ 962C 7C@> >6>36CD @7 v6? p=A92 W3@C? a_`_\a_acX E96D6 52JD[ 2?5 H92E E96J 24EF2==J >62?]k^Am

k9am`] u2:CD Z ~z 92?5 D:8?2=k^9am

kAm“u2:CD” :D 2 D9@CE H2J @7 D2J:?8 “72:C 6?@F89]” (92E @C:8:?2E65 2D qC:E:D9 D=2?8 DAC625 @? %:<%@< 2D 2 H2J E@ 24<?@H=6586 D@>6E9:?8 2D 36:?8 2 G2=:5 2?DH6C @C 2? F?56CDE2?523=6 C6DF=E @7 2 D:EF2E:@?]k^Am

kAm“x C6>6>36C @?6 E:>6[ =:<6[ x E@=5 2 8:C= x =:<65 96C[ 2?5 D96 D2:5 ‘6H’” 2?5 x H2D =:<6 ‘72:CD[’” %:<%@<6C oE92<:55D2> ;@<:?8=J 6IA=2:?65 :? 2 yF?6 G:56@]k^Am

kAmz:5D >2J FD6 E96 D2J:?8 :? 4@?;F?4E:@? H:E9 2? ~z 92?5 DJ>3@= >256 H:E9 E96 E9F>3 2?5 :?56I 7:?86C[ :? C676C6?46 E@ E96 6>@;:] ~?=:?6[ E96 A9C2D6 :D D@>6E:>6D 244@>A2?:65 3J px\86?6C2E65 A9@E@D @7 (2==246 7C@> “(2==246 2?5 vC@>:E” FD:?8 E96 DJ>3@=]k^Am

k9ama] {2CA:?8k^9am

kAm{p#!:?8[ @C =:G6\24E:@? C@=6\A=2J:?8[ >:89E 4@?;FC6 FA G:D:@?D @7 sF?86@?D U2>Aj sC28@?D 4@DEF>6D 2?5 C6?2:DD2?46 72:CD] qFE J@F?8 A6@A=6 2C6 C6AFCA@D:?8 E96 H@C5 “=2CA:?8” E@ 42== @FE D@>6@?6 E96J E9:?< :D :?2FE96?E:4]k^Am

kAmv@:?8 E@ 2 7:E?6DD 4=2DD ;FDE 7@C E96 A9@E@D :D =2CA:?8 36:?8 2 A:=2E6D 8:C=] p DF>>6C :?E6C?D9:A :D =2CA:?8 2 4@CA@C2E6 h\E@\d] r@>:?8 :?E@ |2?92EE2? 7C@> {@?8 xD=2?5 7@C E96 52J :D =2CA:?8 }6H *@C< r:EJ]k^Am

kAm%96 H@C5 :D 2?@E96C H2J E@ D2J A@D6C[ ECJ\92C5 @C 7C2F5]k^Am

kAm“xE’D D@>6@?6 H9@ :D A6C7@C>2E:G6 :? E96 H2J E92E E96JVC6 5C6DD:?8 @C 24E:?8 @C 5@:?8 D@>6E9:?8[ 2?5 :EVD ?@E 24EF2==J 2FE96?E:4 E@ H9@ E96J 2C6 2D 2? :?5:G:5F2=[” |@C82? wFC=@4< @7 !9:=256=A9:2 D2JD] “xEVD 2=>@DE =:<6 J@FVC6 42==:?8 D@>6@?6 @FE]”k^Am

k9amb] %96 9FKKk^9am

kAms6DA:E6 9@H E96 H@C5 D@F?5D[ :E’D ?@E D9@CE 7@C 9FD32?5] %96 E6C> C676CD E@ 2 4CFD9 @C C@>2?E:4 A2CE?6C] xE @C:8:?2==J H2D 2 56C@82E@CJ H2J E@ C676C E@ 2 8C@FA @7 H@>6?[ 2D 2 5:DE@CE65 DA6==:?8 @7 E96 H@C5 “9@6D[” 3FE E96 H@C5 92D E2<6? @? 2 >@C6 86?6C2= FD6]k^Am

kAm“%96 EJA2 DEF77 E92E @?=J 92AA6?D E@ >6 2E D49@@= :?7C@?E @7 E96 9FKK[” @?6 %:<%@< ;@<65 @G6C 2 4@>A:=2E:@? @7 6>32CC2DD:?8 >@>6?ED]k^Am

kAm%96 E6C> H2D A@AF=2C:K65 3J DEC62>6C z2: r6?2E 2C@F?5 u63CF2CJ a_ab[ 244@C5:?8 E@ |6CC:2>\(63DE6C]k^Am

k9amc] &?4k^9am

kAmx7 J@F 92G6?’E C64@8?:K65 2?J @7 E96 H@C5D @? E9:D =:DE J6E[ J@F >:89E 36 &?4]k^Am

kAm%96 H@C5[ D9@CE92?5 7@C “F?4=6[” :D 2 E6C> 7@C D@>6@?6 A6C46:G65 2D @FE @7 E@F49 @C @=5[ ?@E F?=:<6 “q@@>6C]” %96 H@C5 @C:8:?2E65 H:E9:? p7C:42? p>6C:42? '6C?24F=2C t?8=:D9 2?5 8C6H >@C6 A@AF=2C E9C@F89 FD6 :? C2A 2?5 9:A 9@A >FD:4[ 244@C5:?8 E@ |6CC:2>\(63DE6C]k^Am

kAm“&?4” 42? 36 2 E6C> @7 6?562C>6?E 7@C 2? @=56C A6CD@?] qFE J@F 5@?’E 92G6 E@ 36 2?JH96C6 ?62C J@FC d_D E@ DE2CE 724:?8 E96 F?4 2==682E:@?D[ 2D E96 4FE @77 D66>D E@ 36 86EE:?8 J@F?86C 3J E96 52J]k^Am

kAm“(96? x C6>6>36C >J D:3=:?8D 2C6 D=@H=J C6249:?8 F?4 DE2EFD[” `h\J62C\@=5 %:<%@<6C s2D92 $AC:?<=6 HC@E6 @G6C 2? 2F5:@ 23@FE EFC?:?8 bd]k^Am

k9amd] uC:6Dk^9am

kAm*@F >:89E 36 72>:=:2C H:E9 E96 “yFDE AFE E96 7C:6D :? E96 328” >6>6[ 2? @?=:?6 :?DF=E E92E :?D:?F2E6D E92E E96 A6CD@? D9@F=5 DE@A E2=<:?8 2?5 86E 324< E@ 2 72DE\7@@5 ;@3]k^Am

kAmqFE <:5D 92G6 D9@CE6?65 E96 A9C2D6 E@ D:>A=J D2J:?8 “7C:6D” 2D 2 BF:4< H2J E@ E6== D@>6@?6 E@ HC2A :E FA @C 86E E@ E96 A@:?E]k^Am

kAm%96 D=2?8 @C:8:?2E65 H:E9 2 a_aa u2463@@< A@DE 7C@> FD6C p?5C6 y2>2C |:=3FC?[ C625:?8[ Qx px}% $tt} *~& $x}rt wxvw$rw~~{[Q H:E9 9:D C6DA@?D6 Qy&$% !&% %wt zt%rw&! x} |* qpv q#~[UC5BF@j 244@C5:?8 E@ k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^<?@HJ@FC>6>6]4@>Qm<?@HJ@FC>6>6]4@>k^2m[ 2?5 6G6?EF2==J H6?E @?E@ :?4@CA@C2E6 7C:6D :?DE625 @7 <6E49FA]k^Am

kAm~?=:?6[ E96 D9@CE92?5 >2J 36 244@>A2?:65 3J E96 7C:6D 2?5 A6246 D:8? 6>@;:]k^Am

k9am(92E 5@6D E9:D D=2?8 D2J 23@FE J@F?8 A6@A=6nk^9am

kAm(@C5D =:<6 “F?4” 2?5 “7C:6D” >:89E D@F?5 =:<6 ?@?D6?D6[ 3FE E9:D D=2?8 42E68@CJ C6G62=D E96 H2J J@F?8 A6@A=6 2C6 4@?DE2?E=J ECJ:?8 E@ 56E6C>:?6 H92E’D Q4C:?86[Q H92E’D 2FE96?E:4 2?5 H92E’D ECJ:?8 E@@ 92C5] $@4:2= D=2?8 92D 6I:DE65 :? 6G6CJ 86?6C2E:@?[ 3FE E96 G:C2=:EJ 2?5 DA665 @7 E96 :?E6C?6E 2446=6C2E6D E96 H2J v6? + 2?5 v6? p=A92’D D=2?8 DAC625D 2?5 6G@=G6D]k^Am

kAm|F49 @7 J@F?8 A6@A=6’D D=2?8 E@52J C6G@=G6D 2C@F?5 D@4:2= ;F586>6?E[ H96E96C :E’D E96 “=2CA:?8” 42==:?8 @FE A@D6CD 7@C 36:?8 A6C7@C>2E:G6 @C “F?4” E@ :?5:42E6 D@>6@?6 2D 36:?8 @FE @7 E@F49]k^Am

kAm“(6 =62C? 23@FE @FCD6=G6D 2?5 H96C6 H6 DE2?5 :? E96 H@C=5 @?=J 7C@> E96 C624E:@?D 2?5 C6DA@?D6D H6 86E 7C@> @E96CD[” D2JD s@? vC2?E[ 2 >65:2 ADJ49@=@8:DE H9@ :D E96 }2E:@?2= p5G:D6C @7 w62=E9J s6G:46 |2?286>6?E 7@C }6HA@CE w62=E942C6] “u@C v6? + 2?5 v6? p=A92[ E92E AF3=:4 DA96C6 :D @?=:?6] “%96J 8C6H FA H:E9 6G6CJE9:?8 @?=:?6 364@>:?8 E96:C D@4:2= 4FCC6?4J 2?5 E96 =:E>FD @7 H9@ E96J 2C6]”k^Am