What Does VN Mean In Texting? (Revealed!)

VN usually means “very nice” in texting. It’s used as a simple way to compliment someone or even to talk about something that happened to you that you’re pleased about. It can mean a few other things, but this is by far its most common meaning. “Check out my new clothes,” “very nice!” for example.

VN is a really simple and quick way of telling someone that you liked something they did, something they bought, or something that happened to them.

It certainly can mean other things in particular contexts, but this is really its only broad application.

Let’s find out more.

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What does VN stand for in texting?

VN most commonly stands for “very nice” in texting.

It is a short, simple, and snappy way of expressing that you liked something, and you want to compliment the person.

There are a whole host of situations where you might want to employ this slang. It could be a way of gassing up your friend and encouraging them when they try something new.

“I’ve just got these new shoes but I’m not sure. What do you think?” “VN! They look great!” for example.

On the other hand, it’s a good way of responding to more casual kinds of good news.

You wouldn’t want to say this to someone who had just gotten engaged or bought a house, but in certain circumstances it would work very well.

“Going to be getting a nice little bonus from work this month.” “VN!” for example. It’s causal and doesn’t go beyond that.

But this is why you should be careful using it for big news, as it can come across as perhaps a bit uncaring or even dismissive.

It’s reserved for lesser kinds of news.

So, if someone says VN to you in texting, particularly if they are saying it after you’ve shared something new, some news, something you bought or something new you’re trying, then they almost certainly mean very nice.

There are other things that this can mean, as I’ll get into later, but they are far less common.

Where does this come from, then?

Where does VN come from in texting?

We can see quite clearly the factor that drove this phrase to the popularity it has today.

The film Borat (2006), a comedy by Sacha Baron Cohen, featured the central character Borat who spoke in broken English.

He would very often say the phrase “very nice!” with a strong upward inflection at the end.

It is genuinely quite difficult to overemphasize the cultural chokehold this movie had on people at the time.

Everyone was repeating the catchphrases from the movie, very nice being one of the most common.

Quite quickly, then, this “very nice” phrase just became a standard part of speech—to a much greater extent than it was before.

Eventually, though we don’t really know when or how, this became shortened to the texting slang “VN” at some point after the film came out.

Abbreviating in this way in texting was already very much the thing that people did.

Even in 2006, virtually everyone was texting on an alphanumeric, rather than a QWERTY keyboard, and that made everything take a lot longer.

Thus, everyone was always looking for ways to shorten things down, and such initialisms as this were born.

How do you respond to VN?

It really depends on the context.

There isn’t really a special formula for how to respond. In most cases, a simple “thanks!” will do just fine.

Someone is saying that whatever happened to you is good and that they’re happy for you—so you don’t need to do much more than thank them!

You might want to expand on what you were saying, of course, but it’s all up to you and dependent on the context.

What does VN mean on social media?

VN usually means very nice on social media, as well.

Borat, too, influenced social media massively, especially since it came out in the earliest days of our modern understanding of social media.

Again, this movie really was all anyone was talking about in terms of comedy for a long time.

It can also refer to a visual novel, which is a sort of roleplaying video game in which you read a story and interact with characters.

These are popular and widely discussed on social media.

Can the term have any other meanings?

What else does VN mean?

VN can have a couple of other meanings, though in much more niche contexts.

One is “vanilla ninja”, which is used in various circles to describe someone white who wants to be a ninja.

It can also mean “vape nation”, referring to a community of people who use e-cigarettes to vape.

Finally, it can also mean “virtual navy”, which might have a few different applications.

For the most part, though, if you’re talking about a virtual navy, likelihood is you know that already!

The most common meaning of VN is very nice virtually wherever you go.

So, in all likelihood, VN most likely means very nice if someone says it to you over text.

Indeed, where ever or however they use it, this is definitely the most likely option.

You can respond just by saying thanks, or you may not need to respond at all—it really depends! In any case, if someone says VN to you, then it is most likely a good thing.

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Founder - @PollyWebster

Polly Webster is the founder of Foreign Lingo and a seasoned traveler with a decade of exploration under her belt.

Over the past 10 years, she has journeyed to numerous countries around the globe, immersing herself in diverse cultures, traditions, and languages.

Drawing from her rich experiences, Polly now writes insightful articles about travel, languages, traditions, and cultures, sharing her unique perspectives and invaluable tips with her readers.

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