# What does WBU mean?

Canonical: https://postmesh.app/glossary/wbu

By PostMesh team. Published 2026-10-31; updated 2026-10-31.

WBU stands for What about you. WBU stands for what about you, or what 'bout you. People add it after answering to ask you the same thing, as in "nm, wbu?" When plans are being made, it can also mean are you in?

## What WBU means

WBU is short for what about you. [Collins](https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/wbu) lists wbu as a messaging and social media abbreviation for what 'bout you, which matches the relaxed way people say it.

Its main job is to send a question back. Someone asks what you're doing, you say, and you add wbu: "nm, just got home. wbu?" It's a polite way of saying I answered, now you answer. On its own the letters mean nothing. Attached to an answer, they hand the turn to you.

It has a second job that hbu usually doesn't. [Merriam-Webster](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/what%20about) gives what about a sense that means does that include someone, illustrated with a group heading to the beach and someone asking about a friend who wasn't mentioned. In a chat, that becomes: "we're all going to the lake saturday, wbu?" Here wbu doesn't ask what you're doing. It asks whether you're coming.

**Asking the question back**
- They answered your question
- Now they want your answer
- Example: pizza tonight, wbu?

**Asking if you're in**
- A plan is being made
- They want a yes or no
- Example: we're going at 8, wbu?

*If the message before wbu describes a plan, it's usually an invitation, not small talk.*

In both senses wbu is friendly. It shows the sender is interested in you, or wants to include you, and it keeps the chat from being one-sided.

## Where WBU comes from

WBU abbreviates a spoken phrase, and its first written use isn't well documented. Collins lists it without a date. Merriam-Webster and Cambridge define the phrase what about but don't have entries for the abbreviation.

The phrase is everyday English. [Cambridge](https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/what-about) lists what about as a way to suggest something, as in suggesting a person to invite, and Merriam-Webster also lists it as a way to ask how something affects someone or what should be done about it. Texters cut it to wbu for the same reason they cut how about you to [HBU](/glossary/hbu): it's typed so often that three letters are enough.

## How people use WBU on social media

WBU is a chat word. You'll find it in texts, Snapchat, Instagram [DMs](/glossary/dm), Discord and dating apps, usually in the first few messages of a conversation and usually at the end of a message. It's the natural partner to [WYD](/glossary/wyd) and [WSG](/glossary/wsg): when someone asks either one, "[nm](/glossary/nm) wbu" is the classic answer.

In group chats, the are-you-in sense is more common. Someone posts a plan, a few people reply, and then a wbu goes to a friend who hasn't answered yet. In public, wbu appears in comment threads where people swap answers, like replies under a creator's question on [TikTok](/platform/tiktok) or [Instagram](/platform/instagram): "mine's the blue one, wbu?"

Some example messages, written for this page:

- Answering wyd: "nm, just finished dinner. wbu?"
- Small talk: "I'm watching the game, wbu"
- Plans in a group chat: "Sam and I are going at 7. wbu?"
- Choosing food: "I want tacos, wbu"
- On a dating app: "I'm more of a beach person. wbu?"
- Catching up: "still at the same job lol, wbu"
- In a comment thread: "I'd pick the cabin, wbu?"

Spelling barely varies. Lowercase wbu is the norm, WBU in caps is the same thing a little louder, and the full "what about you?" or "what bout u" turn up too.

## What WBU means from a friend, a crush or a coworker

From a friend, wbu is usually reflex: they answered, and they're passing the question back. In a group chat, a wbu aimed at you specifically is more pointed. People are making plans and want to know if you're coming.

From a crush or a match, wbu shows they're willing to keep talking. It's a good sign but a modest one. The stronger signals come later: questions about things you mentioned, jokes that build on earlier messages, and suggestions to meet.

From a coworker, it's quick politeness. "Working from home today, wbu?" in a team chat is friendly small talk, and a one-line answer is all it needs. If it follows a plan, like "a few of us are getting lunch at noon, wbu?", it's an invitation, and a clear yes or no is the kind reply.

## How to reply to WBU

First, work out which wbu you got. If it follows an answer to your question, give your own answer and add something new. If it follows a plan, say yes, no or maybe, and give a reason or a time. In both cases, a reply that adds something keeps the chat going.

**What came before the wbu?**
- Their answer to your question → Give yours, plus a detail or a question: "same, I'm so bored. want to call?"
- A plan → Say if you're in and when: "I'm in, might be 15 min late"
- A choice, like food or a movie → Pick one, or say you're easy: "tacos sound good"
- Small talk you'd rather end → Short and friendly, no question back: "just working, talk later"

Some replies for different situations:

- To a friend after "nm wbu": "about to make pasta. come over?"
- To a friend's plan: "down, send me the address"
- Turning down a plan: "can't tonight, I've got an early shift. next time though"
- To a crush: "just got back from a run. what are you up to this weekend?"
- To a match on a dating app: "mountains, always. ever been to Colorado?"
- To a coworker's lunch invite: "Count me in, see you at noon."
- To a coworker's small talk: "In the office today. How's the new project going?"

Match the platform. In Snapchat and Instagram chats, a short lowercase reply mirrors the other person and feels natural. In a group chat, reply to the plan clearly so nobody has to chase you. In a work tool, write in your normal voice even if they wrote wbu. On a dating app, the wbu moment is where you can either end the chat or give it something to grow from, so give a real detail.

> Don't answer wbu with wbu. If they say "nm wbu" and you reply "nm wbu", the conversation is going in circles. One of you has to add something.

## When not to use WBU

WBU is casual shorthand, so leave it out of anything formal. In an email to a client, a message to your manager or a reply to a customer, write "And you?" or "How about you?" in full. The extra letters make you sound attentive rather than rushed.

Be clear when you mean are you in. A bare "going at 8, wbu" can be read as small talk by someone who doesn't realize they're invited. If you want them to come, say so: "want to come? we're going at 8."

Brand accounts can join a playful comment thread with it, like answering their own question under a post with "ours is the blue one, wbu?". It doesn't belong in a reply to a customer who has a problem, where it can sound like the brand is deflecting the question.

And as with any abbreviation, not everyone reads it fluently. Older relatives, people reading in a second language and anyone using a screen reader will find the full phrase easier.

**WBU works best when**
- [ ] You've answered their question before asking it back
- [ ] It's a casual chat, not a work email or support reply
- [ ] If you're inviting someone, it's clear they're invited
- [ ] You'll add something new once they answer
- [ ] The other person texts in shorthand too

## WBU compared with HBU and other look-alikes

| Text | Stands for | Typical use |
| --- | --- | --- |
| WBU | What about you | Ask the same question back, or ask if you're in |
| HBU | How about you | Ask the same question back, often after how questions |
| WYD | What (are) you doing | Open a chat by asking what you're up to |
| NM | Nothing much | Answer wyd or wsg |
| WBU (other) | World Boxing Union | Boxing news, not texting |

WBU and [HBU](/glossary/hbu) are near twins, and nobody will mind if you swap them. People tend to choose the one that echoes the original question: "how are you? good, hbu" but "what are you doing? nm, wbu". [HRU](/glossary/hru) and [HYD](/glossary/hyd) are the openers that often lead to either.

One unrelated meaning to know: [Dictionary.com](https://www.dictionary.com/browse/wbu), drawing on Collins' British English dictionary, lists WBU as the abbreviation for the World Boxing Union. In a sports headline or a boxing forum, that's almost certainly what it means. In a text from a friend, it's what about you.

## Questions

### Is WBU rude?

No. It's a friendly way to ask the question back. In formal messages, write "and you?" instead.

### What's the difference between WBU and HBU?

WBU is what about you and HBU is how about you. Both ask the same question back, and people usually pick the one that echoes the original question.

### How do I reply to "nm wbu"?

Say what you're up to and add something, like "just got home, want to call?" Replying "nm wbu" back sends the chat in circles.

### What does WBU mean in a group chat?

Often it means are you coming. If it follows a plan, the sender wants a yes or no from you.

### What does WBU mean from a guy or a girl?

That they're interested in keeping the chat going. Whether it's more than friendly shows in what they ask next.

## Related terms

- [HBU](https://postmesh.app/glossary/hbu)

- [WYD](https://postmesh.app/glossary/wyd)

- [NM](https://postmesh.app/glossary/nm)

- [HRU](https://postmesh.app/glossary/hru)

- [HYD](https://postmesh.app/glossary/hyd)

- [WSG](https://postmesh.app/glossary/wsg)

## Sources

- [Collins English Dictionary: wbu](https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/wbu)

- [Merriam-Webster: what about](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/what%20about)

- [Cambridge Dictionary: what about](https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/what-about)

- [Dictionary.com: WBU](https://www.dictionary.com/browse/wbu)