Bae
Meaning: A term of endearment for a significant other; sometimes said to stand for 'before anyone else.'
Bae exploded in popularity around 2013-2014 as a trendy alternative to 'babe' or 'baby.' Some claim it's an acronym for 'Before Anyone Else,' though it likely started as a shortened form of 'babe.' It can refer to a person ('she's my bae') or be used as an adjective ('that's so bae'). It peaked in usage around 2014-2016 but is still understood and used.
Examples
- Bae surprised me with flowers after work. Bae下班后给我送了惊喜的花。Bae me sorprendió con flores después del trabajo.Baeが仕事の後にサプライズで花をくれた。Bae가 퇴근 후에 서프라이즈로 꽃을 줬어.
- Pizza is bae — I could eat it every day. 披萨就是我的bae——我可以天天吃。La pizza es bae — podría comerla todos los días.ピザはbaeだ——毎日食べられる。피자는 bae야 — 매일 먹을 수 있어.
- She was texting bae all through dinner. 她整个晚饭都在给bae发消息。Estuvo mandando mensajes a bae durante toda la cena.彼女はディナー中ずっとbaeにメッセージしてた。그녀는 저녁 내내 bae한테 문자하고 있었어.
Pronunciation
Usage Guide
Context: relationships, social media, texting
Tone: affectionate, trendy
✓ Do Say
- Bae cooked dinner tonight.Bae今晚做了饭。Bae ha preparado la cena esta noche.今夜はBaeが夕食を作ってくれた。오늘 밤 Bae가 저녁 해줬어.
- You're my bae.你是我的bae。Tú eres mi bae.あなたは私のbaeだよ。넌 나의 bae야.
✗ Don't Say
- Some people consider it overused or dated — it peaked around 2014. Using it ironically is common now有些人觉得这个词已经被用烂了或者过时了——它的流行高峰在2014年左右。现在经常被反讽地使用Hay quien lo considera sobreutilizado o pasado de moda — tuvo su apogeo alrededor de 2014. Ahora es habitual usarlo de forma irónica使い古されたとか古いと感じる人もいる——2014年頃がピーク。今はイロニーとして使うのが一般的일부 사람들은 과하게 쓰였거나 구식이라고 생각함 — 2014년경 전성기를 보냈다. 요즘은 아이러니하게 쓰는 경우가 흔함
Origin & History
Emerged on Black Twitter and social media around 2013. While some claim it stands for 'Before Anyone Else,' linguists believe it's simply a shortening of 'babe.' It became one of the most ubiquitous slang terms of the mid-2010s.
Cultural Context
Era: 2013 onwards
Generation: Millennials, Gen Z
Social background: Universal
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