555

What Does 555 Mean?

555 means "ha ha ha" in Thai and represents laughter. However, in Chinese it means "wu wu wu" and represents crying. Read on to find out more about this potentially confusing text code.

Ha Ha Ha

Here is an example of 555 being used in a conversation.

• Arthit: The barman says, "we don't serve time travellers in here." A time traveler walks into a bar.
• Aroon: 555! That's so funny!

Wu Wu Wu

For example:

• Chun: The barman says, "we don't serve time travellers in here." A time traveler walks into a bar.
• Guang: 555. That's awful!

Chinese chat codes have become highly popular, not only in countries where Chinese characters are used, but also in countries with different alphabets. (Check out our page on Chinese chat codes for more.)

For more information on numbers that are used to say words, check out our page: Using Numbers To Say Words and watch this video:

Image for 555

555 can indicate amusement in Thai, or sorrow in Chinese.

Summary of Key Points

"Ha Ha Ha" is a common definition for 555 on Snapchat, WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok, especially in Thailand.

555
Definition:	Ha Ha Ha
Type:	Numeronym (Thai)
Guessability:	4: Difficult to guess
Typical Users:	Adults and Teenagers

The Chinese phrase 呜呜呜, which translates as "wu wu wu (sobbing sound)," is another common definition for 555.

555
Definition:	呜呜呜 (Wu wu wu (sobbing sound))
Type:	Numeronym (Chinese)
Guessability:	1: Easy to guess (if you understand Chinese, else virtually impossible)
Typical Users:	Adults and Teenagers

An Academic Look at 555

555 is a numeronym, which is an abbreviation made up of just numbers or of letters and numbers.

Numeronyms can be formed in various ways, such as:

• Shortening a word by replacing a sequence of letters with the count of those letters (e.g., i18n for "internationalization" and a11y for "accessibility").
• Combining letters and numbers (e.g, K9 for "canine" and W3 for "World Wide Web").
• Using numbers to represent letters or words (e.g., 143 for "I love you," 637 for "always and forever," and 5201314 for "I will love you for a lifetime").

Numeronyms were used long before the digital era. Many of the early ones were written on the envelopes of letters between lovers. They were often a coded message between the sender and the recipient, thought to allow secret expressions of love or passion.

As it imitates a sound that occurs naturally in both Thai and Chinese, 555 is an onomatopoeic word. These are words that create a sound that mimics the thing described. There are many such words in the English language, including "achoo," "mmm," and "oof."

Example of 555 Used in a Text

Quiz

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