English abbreviations and abbreviations. What does "P.S." mean: find out together

20.09.2019

In the modern age, saturated with information, there is less and less time for communication and correspondence. No matter how paradoxical it may sound, but the more information a person owns, the more ways he is looking for to reduce it and transmit it in a more concise form. One of the best ways to shorten words and expressions is to use abbreviations.

Today they are ubiquitous in general English, in business correspondence, in SMS messages and chats, in international terms. Many of them are used quite often, so not only English learners, but also an ordinary modern person should master a couple of the most common of them.

Abbreviation(Italian abbreviatura from lat. brevis - short) - a word formed by abbreviation of a word or phrase and read by the alphabetic name of the initial letters or by the initial sounds of the words included in it.

Abbreviations are found in any language of the world and play a huge role. Sometimes ignorance or incorrect use of one or another abbreviation in English can lead to a rather awkward situation or misunderstanding of what the interlocutor wants to express with this or that phrase.

Let's look at an example of the misuse of a fairly well-known abbreviation lol(laughing out loud - laugh out loud).

messages
Mom: Your beloved aunt just passed away. lol
I: Why is that funny?
Mom: It's not funny, David!
I: Mom, LOL means “laughing out loud”.
Mom: Oh my goodness! I thought it means “lots of love”...I sent it to everyone! I need to call everybody…
Messages
Mom: Your beloved aunt has just passed away. lol
Me: What's funny about that?
Mom: That's not funny, David!
Me: Mom, lol mean "laugh out loud".
Mom: Oh God! I thought it meant lots of love...
I sent this to everyone! We all need to call...

Most popular abbreviations

This list of abbreviations can be found everywhere and, for sure, you are familiar with most of them visually, but let's pay attention to their correct translation and use.

  • V.I.P. (very important person)- very important person;
  • P.S.(from Latin "post scriptum") - after what is written;
  • A.D.(from lat. "Anno Domini") - our era;
  • B.C. / B.C.E. -before Christ- before Christ / before Common Era- BC;
  • ASAP (as soon as possible)- As soon as possible;
  • UNO (United Nations Organization)- UN;
  • UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization)- UNESCO;
  • a.m.(ante meridiem, in the morning)- in the morning;
  • p.m.(post meridium, in the afternoon)- In the evening;
  • i.e. ( id est , that is)- it means;
  • e.g. ( exempli gratia , for example)- For example;
  • u (you)- You;
  • etc.(from lat. et cetera) - and so on;
  • 2G2BT (too good to be true)- too good to be true;
  • 2moro (tomorrow)- Tomorrow;
  • 2day (today)- Today;
  • BD or BDAY (birthday)- birthday;
  • 2nite (tonight)- In the evening;
  • 4ever (forever)- forever;
  • AFAIK (as far as I know)- as far as I know;
  • BTW (by the way)- by the way;
  • RLY (really)- indeed, true;
  • BRB (be right back)- I'll be back soon;
  • TTYL (talk to you later)- we'll talk later, "before communication";
  • IMHO (in my honest opinion)- in my opinion, in my opinion;
  • AKA (also known as)- also known as;
  • TIA (thanks in advance)- thanks in advance.

Let's look at the use of the abbreviations above in examples:

  • According to my work schedule I need to come to work at 8 a.m.-According to my work schedule, I need to come to work at 8 am.
  • AFAIK this concert will be held 2day.- As far as I know, the concert will be held today.
  • All these events happened in 455 B.C.- All these events took place in 455 BC.
  • I invite u to my BD 2nite.- I'm inviting you to my birthday party tonight.
  • btw she was RLY good at Math at school. - By the way (by the way) she was really good at math when she was in school.
  • I'm sorry. I'm in hurry. TTYL.- I'm sorry, I'm in a hurry. Let's talk later.

The abbreviations in general English are described quite interestingly in this video:

Business Letters and Abbreviations

Writing business letters and compiling business correspondence today requires high-quality study and a careful approach. When faced with the design and decoding of abbreviations in business English for the first time, a beginner sometimes experiences confusion and bewilderment of what it all means. The difficulty lies in the correct use of this or that abbreviation, as well as in the specifics of business vocabulary. However, as in any field of language learning, knowledge and a little practice will help to cope with any difficulties.

A number of abbreviations are used only in writing, but in oral speech the full forms of the word are pronounced:

  • Mr. (mister)- Mister;
  • Mrs. (mistress)- Mrs.
  • Dr. (doctor)- doctor;
  • St. (Saint/Street)- saint or street;
  • Blvd. (boulevard)- boulevard;
  • Ave. (avenue)- avenue;
  • Sq. (square)- square;
  • Rd. (road)- road;
  • Bldg. (building)- building;
  • B. Sc. (Bachelor of Science)- Bachelor of Science;
  • M.A. (Master of Arts)- Master of Arts;
  • Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy)- PhD;
  • M.D. (Doctor of Medicine)- Doctor of Medical Sciences.

The most popular business abbreviations of English words are given below:

  • Co (company)- company;
  • PA (personal assistant)- personal assistant;
  • Appx. (appendix)- application;
  • Re. (reply)- answer;
  • p. (page)- page;
  • smth. (something)- something;
  • smb. (somebody)- somebody;
  • vs( lat. versus)- against;
  • etc. ( lat. et cetera)- And so on.

Popular three-letter acronyms ( TLA or Three Letter Acronyms) in the business area:

  • CAO (Chief Administrative Officer)- Administration Manager;
  • CEO (Chief Executive Officer)- chief executive officer (general director);
  • exp. (export)- export - export of goods outside the country;
  • HR (human resources)- personnel service of the enterprise;
  • HQ (Headquarters)- head office of the company;
  • LLC (limited liability company)- limited liability company (LLC);
  • R&D (research and development)- Research and development;
  • IT (information technology)- information Technology.

Examples of business correspondence using abbreviations :

  • Dear Mr. Brown, our co will be glad to offer you the position of CAO.- Dear Mr. Brown, our company will be glad to offer you the position of chief accountant of the company.
  • Dear Ms. Stone, my PA will definitely contact you about changes in exp. process - Dear Ms. Stone, my personal secretary will definitely contact you about changes in the export process.

Chats and SMS

As mentioned above, there are three-letter Acronyms in English ( TLA or Three Letter Acronyms), which help shorten and compress fairly large phrases down to 3 letters. Today, this is a fairly popular way to save time when chatting on social networks.

  • BFN (bye for now)- see you later, bye
  • BTW (by the way)- By the way
  • FYI (for your information)- for your information
  • JIT (just in time)- during
  • IOW (in other words)- in other words, in other words
  • NRN (no reply is necessary)- no answer required
  • OTOH (on the other hand)- on the other side

As for SMS abbreviations, there are a huge number of them.
The specificity of such abbreviations is that it can be almost impossible to decipher without a detailed analysis.

  • GL (good luck)- Good luck!
  • GB (good bye)- Bye
  • DNO (don't know)- Don't know
  • ASAYGT (as soon as you get this)- as soon as you receive it
  • B4 (before)- before
  • BC (because)- because
  • BON (believe it or not)- believe it or not
  • BW (best wishes)- best wishes
  • BZ (busy)- busy
  • CYT (see you tomorrow)- see you tomorrow
  • Wish you GL on your exam. Mom. - I wish you good luck on the exam. Mother.
  • Sorry. b.z. CYT.- I am sorry. Busy. See you tomorrow.
  • I will be JIT. GB.- I'll be on time. Bye.

For a detailed acquaintance with English abbreviations of words in SMS, we recommend visiting, which contains 2000+ abbreviations.

As we can see, the topic is quite extensive, but do not be afraid! Having encountered acronyms and abbreviations in English several times, you simply cannot help but love them for their originality and help in saving you time. And having fallen in love with something, you will surely and easily remember it!

We offer you to choose a couple of abbreviations for yourself right now and surprise your loved ones with improved communication! BFN and watch your step while texting!

Big and friendly family EnglishDom

It is written after the number and signature through a small indent in one or two lines. This abbreviation stands for the English expression "post scriptum" - "after what is written." In some letters written with a pen, you can see "P.S." instead of English letters. The meaning is the same, but some people understand it this way: “to be continued” or “afterword”, “after what has been said”, “addendum”.

The ethics of writing a graceful letter is a thing of the past

“Dear Sovereign Andrei Vasilyevich! Our entire large family congratulates you on the occasion. We wish you from the bottom of our hearts all splendor for many years to come. May the coming year be happier and more prosperous than the last. Please accept our deepest respects.
P.S. Congratulations on the birth of a grandchild."
The author of the letter about his grandson forgot, so I had to add it in order not to rewrite the whole letter again.


In the love letters of bygone times it was: “P.S. I dream of a new meeting”, “P.S. I love”, “P.S. Tomorrow at the same place”, “P.S. Sorry if there are any mistakes."

What does "P.S."Now

The meaning of writing such a "continuation" has changed radically. Yes, and letters are now written mostly electronically, it is easy to add a missed sentence on the keyboard and paste it anywhere. can be understood by the purpose of the letter. In friendly messages, it is now fashionable to write important postscripts, and even in the form of "PS" (without changing the language on the keyboard), it turns out "cool", "cool". If "P.S." they add to reinforce the meaning of the main idea, to concentrate attention. Naturally, to indicate the benefits of a purchase, a sales text almost always writes a postscript "P.S." or "P.S." There are letters of request, thanksgiving, ceremonial, apologetic. And each can be with its own special "addition".

Computer slang has changed beyond recognition"P.S."

Example: "P.P.S." means "after postscriptum" (post post scriptum). Now you can write "P.S.S." (post sub scriptum) is also a postscript after postscript. A modern advanced user (user) uses international English in Russian style. Instead of "P.S." in the message adds "zyzh" or "zyr", which means "look". Informal correspondence can be difficult to understand. "FAQ" - "frequently asked questions", "PPKS" - "I'm waving (in the sense of" subscribing ") under every word", "TsTSTSYu" - three English letters with a dot "WWW." What does "P.S." mean? in such a record: "ZZYZH"? This is the ironic equivalent of "P.P.S."

Where did the algorithm go? normal letters

Previously, the letter had this plan:

  • Greetings.
  • Introduction with good wishes and questions. Here they shared their impressions from the received letters and past meetings.
  • Main part.
  • Final instructions.
  • Date, signature often with the word "kiss".

Here is a sad unsent letter from a tanker, written in 1941, in it the former meaning, which means "P.S." In a broken tank with a closed hatch, 25 years after the end of the war, the remains of a young lieutenant were found, he had a tablet with a letter and a photograph of his girlfriend.

“Hello, dear Varya! Unfortunately, we are not destined to meet again ... ”Then the soldier writes about heavy battles, about the death of his comrades, about how love helped him fight with dignity. Postscript with bitter irony:
P.S. Like in a familiar song about tankers"

Various devices, gadgets and their components can be produced in one region and assembled and packaged in another region. Usually, data on the place of production and place of assembly are indicated in the documentation of the device. On special stickers, and sometimes on the body, if it is not expected that some part of it will be visible during operation. In addition to common markings, you can also find less well-known ones, for example, made in p.r.c., the meaning and decoding of the abbreviation of which are not known to everyone.

Where is found

It is worth noting that such marking is very common on a wide variety of products - from household items, such as forks and spoons, to professional technical equipment and gadgets. Also, it can be found on the packaging of food, drinks, clothing labels. It is noteworthy that you can purchase any product with such a marking in almost any country in the world, since this manufacturer supplies products to a variety of regions.

Moreover, such marking began to occur more and more often only three or four years ago, before that things were not marked with it. This process took place in many countries at the same time, that is, since about 2013, products with such a mark have appeared not only in the Russian Federation, but throughout the world. Marking can be applied both to very cheap products, such as plastic dishes, and to very expensive ones, such as premium class.

What does

What does this abbreviation mean and how does it stand for. You can find out about this very simply - just scan the barcode of the product using a special application on. In the barcode, consisting of stripes and numbers, all information about the manufacturer of this product is encrypted. If you look at any product with this mark, you will see that it is made in China.

Thus, the mark made in P.R.C. replace the familiar designation made in China. The same can be said for the digital designation of a barcode without scanning. The barcode number of products with this marking always starts with 690, 691, 692, 693, 694 or 695. It is the first three digits of the code that indicate the manufacturer, and one of these six combinations is China.

Why such an abbreviation? It really denotes the country of origin, but not its short name, familiar to everyone, but an abbreviation of the longer official name of this territorial, geographical and political association. In fact, the full name of China is the People's Republic of China, and it is the first three letters of these words that are included in the marking abbreviation.

Important! P.R.C. – People`s Republic of Chinese. This is a complete translation and decoding of the abbreviation.

This territorial association includes both the Republic of China and Taiwan. For this reason, all products that are produced on this island can also be labeled with an abbreviation, in this case, such a three-letter abbreviation replaces the well-known Made in Taiwan. In addition to the Republic of China and the island of Taiwan, the territorial association also includes the People's Republic of China, whose goods are also marked in this way.

Peculiarities

Although such marking has become quite widespread, it has not, nevertheless, replaced the old designation. Now equally often in stores in the Russian Federation you can find both goods labeled in the old way and in a new way. This is due to the fact that such an update is not mandatory for manufacturers, although it is desirable for a number of reasons, which will be discussed below.

A large workforce, low cost of both production and labor of workers, as well as good technical equipment of plants and factories made goods from China not too expensive. Due to this, they are in stable demand in the market of all countries. This additionally stimulates producers to increase the already large-scale production volumes. At present, most of all goods, both light and heavy industry, entering the markets of Europe, Asia, America, etc., are made in China.

China is the leader in the number of manufactured goods of almost all types. For this reason, it is not surprising that almost immediately after the innovation, such markings became widespread and became known to many consumers. Although its meaning is still not known to many.

Why the changes were made

M nevertheless, what was the point in changing the well-known, familiar to the consumer, labeling for a new one? There are several reasons for this, which force manufacturers to designate their geographic location otherwise:

    image policy. Chinese products are numerous, but often their volumes were at the expense of quality - in other words, it was things marked made in China that most often turned out to be defective and of poor quality, and such an association has been firmly entrenched in the minds of consumers for several decades. The new abbreviation is an attempt to get around this bad reputation in an honest way, because not every user will scan a barcode before buying;

    Creation of a new national brand. The quality of products produced by this country has increased significantly in the last decade. An improved level of education and better working conditions have led to the fact that even expensive flagship smartphones are now being assembled in China according to all quality standards. Therefore, manufacturers hope that the new abbreviation will be associated with the consumer with inexpensive goods of good quality;

    Foreign investment. Production in China is actively invested by companies from the USA, Russia, the European Union, etc. The marketing policy of these companies is often such that it forces them to refuse to use the “bad reputation” label. Because investors do not want the products they have invested in to be associated with low quality goods;

    It is important to distinguish PRC from PRC, which stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, famous for its quality products. Therefore, the decision to change the label may be an attempt to create an association with a more successful and status national brand.

In summary, we can say that the replacement of labeling was done solely in order to increase demand for products by creating a new national brand that is not endowed with a bad reputation and is more attractive.

<Рис. 4 На другом оборудовании>

P.S. These two letters can lead to a stupor anyone who is not aware of their meaning. Social networks, blogs, mailbox - on every mouse click you can find this uncomplicated abbreviation. So, let's figure out what P.S. means.

Decryption

P.S. came to us from the Latin language, and it stands for "post scriptum". A postscript is a small postscript after the main text. Most often, it contains an important detail that the author missed in the process of writing. In simple terms, this is when you wrote, wrote, wrote, but missed something very important, and rewriting it all over again or correcting it is long and difficult. It is in this case that P.S. comes to the rescue, translated from Latin meaning "after what is written."

Z.Y. vs P.S.

Users of social networks often ask not only the question “what does P.S. VKontakte", but they are also perplexed at the common abbreviation "Z.Y." In fact, everything is simple here: ordinary laziness, which prevents users from switching from Russian to English layout, turned the Latin P.S. into Cyrillic Z.Y. If you look closely, you will notice that on the keyboard, the English p corresponds to the Russian z and, accordingly, s to the letter y. Therefore, the meaning of these abbreviations is exactly the same. Another alteration of Russian-speaking Internet users is the so-called "pysy". With the meaning of this inscription, difficulties will probably not arise.

Find out what IMHO means and when it is appropriate to use this abbreviation. What is trolling and how to behave with trolls, more about this in our article.

Another possible form of postscript is "P.P.S" (post post scriptum). If we turn again to a simple explanation of complex situations, then P.P.S. is used. in the following case: you wrote, wrote, wrote, missed something important, put a postscript, and then remembered that you missed something else very important. Then the so-called double postscript comes to the rescue, in translation - "after after what is written." “P.S.S” (post sub scriptum) has exactly the same meaning.

P.S. It is necessary to distinguish between Post Scriptum and PostScript, which is a fairly common programming language.


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