HBU

What Does HBU Mean in a Text?

The Quick Answer

HBU usually means "How About You?" It also stands for "Houston Baptist University."

How About You?

The abbreviation HBU is widely used online and in text-based messaging with the meaning "How About You?" as a response to a question. HBU is typically used to confirm the other person's plans or to assess their opinion. For example:

• Fran: I was brought up in a tough neighborhood. HBU?
• Sam: I'm not saying that I used to live in a rough area, but our advent calendars had half the windows boarded up!

• Jo: How many push-ups can you do?
• Mo: Three hundred HBU?
• Simon: Three!

By using relaxed pronunciation, the word "about" becomes "'bout," which is how it is usually pronounced in "How About You?" "How About You" is also abbreviated as HAY and HBY.

Houston Baptist University

HBU is also the initials of "Houston Baptist University, in Houston, Texas.

Image for HBU

When I write HBU, I mean this:

HBU also means "Houston Baptist University."

Summary of Key Points

First definition of HBU

"How about You?" is, by far, the most common meaning for HBU when it is used in a text. (Bear in mind that it could have another meaning if used in a different context.)

HBU
Definition:	How About You?
Type:	Abbreviation
Guessability:	3: Guessable
Typical Users:	Adults, Teenagers, and Under 13s

Second definition of HBU

HBU also stands for "Houston Baptist University."

HBU
Definition:	Houston Baptist University
Type:	Abbreviation
Guessability:	4: Difficult to guess
Typical Users:	Adults and Teenagers

An Academic Look at HBU

HBU plays the role of an interrogative sentence (i.e., a question). However, it is commonly seen without a question mark. It can be written "HBU?" or "HBU". As it is pronounced using its individual letters (i.e., "Aitch Bee Yoo"), HBU is classified as an initialism abbreviation. Initialisms are different to acronyms, which are spoken like words.

What Did We Say before Texting and Social Media?

Before the digital era, we would have just said "How 'bout You?" instead of using HBU.

Example of HBU Used in a Text

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