987

What Does 987 Mean in a Text?

In a text, the numbers 987 mean "Excuse me." If you were to read these numbers in Chinese, they would sound similar to the Chinese words 对不起, which translate as "Excuse me."

Lots of Chinese words sound similar to the Chinese numbers. As a result, sentences can be created using just numbers. Of note, the number "0" (zero), which is used to represent the word "you," does not sound much like the Chinese word for "you," but it is still used so meaningful sentences can be created. These Chinese chat codes have become highly popular, not only in countries where Chinese characters are used but also in countries with different alphabets (e.g., Latin, Arabic, Cyrillic).

Number	Chinese Meaning	English Meaning
987	对不起	Excuse me.

As you have a Chinese voice loaded on your browser, you should be able to hear the numbers and the "sentences" by clicking the audio icon. To our ears (and we don't speak Chinese), the numbers and the sentences sound quite different. Do you know why? Please tell us using the form below.

Image for 987

When I write 987, I mean this:

When the individual numbers in 987 are read aloud in Chinese, they sound like the words 对不起, which mean "Excuse me."

Summary of Key Points

The Chinese phrase 对不起, which translates as "Excuse me," is the most common definition for 987 on Snapchat, WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.

987
Definition:	对不起 (Excuse me)
Type:	Chinese "Numerical Sentence"
Guessability:	1: Easy to guess (if you understand Chinese, else virtually impossible)
Typical Users:	Adults and Teenagers

Example of 987 Used in a Text

987

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987