wbu
Wbu (abbreviation) means What about you? — used in messaging to bounce a question straight back to the person who asked it. Example: “Not much going on here, wbu?”
How to Use Wbu
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishShort for "what about you?" in a text.
Lower case, no full stops, almost always at the end of a message. It belongs to texting and DMs, not to emails or anything formal.
wbu and hbu are interchangeable in practice; hbu is "how about you".
Trace the full origin ↓Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
Not much going on here, _____?
Etymology
An initialism of what about you.
Synonyms
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does wbu mean in texting?
It stands for "what about you?". It is the standard way of returning a question you have just answered, as in "I'm good, wbu?".
What is the difference between wbu and hbu?
None worth worrying about. wbu is "what about you" and hbu is "how about you"; both invite the other person to answer the same question, and speakers use them interchangeably.
Should I reply to wbu?
Yes — it is a genuine question. Answering the same thing they just answered, briefly, is all that is expected.
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