Looking through the comments sections on TikTok, you may have come across the term “ASL” or “ASL” — but what does it really mean?
As with any other social media platform, a whole new set of vocabulary has emerged from the many trends, references and internal jokes that populate TikTok, with entire comment sections sometimes filled with the same obscure word.
This can be confusing for people who are starting to work at TikTok for the first time, or even those who have been on the platform for a long time, and you may be wondering what people are talking about.
ASL or “asl” is one such term that is often used in short applications, however, this abbreviation can have many different meanings.
ASL value in TikTok
First, it’s worth noting that some of the meanings below are not exclusive to TikTok, and what definition is used in any particular TikTok video or comment will vary depending on the context.
The last definition that confused a large number of social media users is “damn it.” When used in this context, it is usually written in lowercase letters. Some have adopted this abbreviation and started using it in their posts both in TikTok and beyond, while others don’t like this idea.
anytime i see someone type “asl” as “as hell” i read it as “age, sex, location”
— kayla (@kaylaseraphina) January 27, 2023
NO HOW IS "asl" SHORT FOR "as hell" WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU
— subwaysachi (@superachnural) June 6, 2022
Many people know that ASL primarily means American sign language, and the application has a lot of materials related to it, including lessons, tutorials and song covers. It is usually written in capital letters in this context.
Another popular meaning of this word is “age, gender, location”, although for some this abbreviation may be considered outdated.
ASL is far from the only abbreviation or slang term that confuses thousands of people in TikTok. Terms such as POV, MFA and accountant have their own special meaning in the application.
If you are struggling to understand some of the most commonly used words in TikTok, such as “SMH”, “BFFR” or “moots”, you can check out our slang guide here.
