Texting in Italian

If you’re planning to spend some time in Italy, knowing some of the abbreviations people use when texting in Italian can probably come in handy.

Since the advent of mobile phones, texting has become always more and more popular. Every day, Italians send more than 150 million text messages. And if at the beginning texting was used only by youngsters, nowadays it is used by adults too.

Indeed, text messages can reach everyone everywhere. If people cannot answer to the phone because they’re too busy, they always manage to find a minute to check their messages.

As in English, texting in Italian means learning a new way of communicating – new vocabulary, new use of signs, etc.

It is precisely this new way of communicating that has arisen a great debate among researchers. In fact, some of them think that texting is worsening students’ knowledge of grammar and vocabulary. However, other researchers disagree with this view, saying that there is no proof that the use of texting worsens students’ knowledge of language. Actually, they say, it is quite the opposite. Indeed, they state that texting increases students’ phonological awareness and metalinguistic knowledge, in that they are able to switch from one language system to another.

I’m not a researcher but I agree with this last position. Indeed, I like to compare texting to dialects. Also dialects can be considered a completely new language, with their own vocabulary and grammar. Personally, I learnt the Milanese dialect when I was a child, and I must say, that this has never prevented me to learn standard and formal Italian too, and to use both correctly. In short, I think we should not confuse texting with laziness. This last is another cattle of fish.

Anyway, deleterious or not, texting still is a wide used form of communication.

But what are the rules of texting in Italian? Are there any rules?

I don’t like to talk about rules in this case, because texting is a language mainly based on creativity and invention. However, it has some recurring features. Let’s see some of them:

Use of digits instead of words – when possible: 6 instead of sei (meaning both six and the 2nd person singular of the verb to be)
Ch becomes k: ke instead of che
Vowels are dropped: qst instead of questo
Words are shortened: risp instead of rispondi
Some sentences become acronyms: TVTB instead of ti voglio tanto bene
Use of symbols instead of words: x instead of per

And now, if you want to learn some of the most common abbreviations people use when texting in Italian, here is a small list:

+: più (more)
asp: aspettare (to wait)
c6: ci sei? (are you there?)
cmq: comunque (anyway)
c sent: ci sentiamo (we’ll be in touch soon)
dp: dopo (after)
dv 6: dove sei? (where are you?)
dx: destra (right)
frs: forse
gg = giorno (day)
grz = grazie (thanks)
ke: che (that)
ki: chi (who)
lib: libero (free)
m = mi (I, me)
nn = non (no, not)
pfv = per favore (please)
prox = prossima (next)
qlk: qualche (some)
qlks: qualcosa (something)
qlk1: qualcuno (someone)
qnd: quando (when)
qndi: quindi (so)
qnt: quanto (how much)
qst: questo (this)
risp: rispondi (answer)
scs: scusa (I’m sorry)
sn: sono (I/they are)
spr/saxe: sapere (to know)
sx: sinistra (left)
sxo: spero (I hope)
t = ti (you)
ta = ti amo (I love you)
tn = tanto (a lot)
tvb = ti voglio bene (I love you)
tvtb: ti voglio tanto bene (I love you very much)
xke = perché (why, because)
xò: però (but)