ILYLT

What Does ILYLT Mean in a Text?

Expressing Love in a Text

There are over 100 novel ways to express love in a text message. Some of them were invented by the iKids (i.e., Millennials, Generation Z, and Generation A), making them just a few decades old, but many of them have been around for centuries. Here's the one that matters to you: ILYLT means "I Love You Long Time."

More Observations...

The abbreviation ILYLT is typically used with the meaning "I Love You Long Time" to add humor to a request for a favor. ILYLT is a partial misquote of the sentence "Me Love You Long Time," which was used as an offer of sex by a prostitute in the 1987 film Full Metal Jacket (see below). "Me Love You Long Time" is also often misquoted as LYLT "Love You Long Time".

Image for ILYLT

When I write ILYLT, I mean this:

ILYLT is a misquote of a line from the film Full Metal Jacket.

Summary of Key Points

"I Love You Long Time" is, by far, the most common meaning for ILYLT when it is used in a text. (Bear in mind that it could have another meaning if used in a different context.)

ILYLT
Definition:	I Love You Long Time
Type:	Abbreviation
Guessability:	3: Guessable
Typical Users:	Adults

The classic scene from Full Metal Jacket.

Examples of ILYLT in Sentences

Here are examples of ILYLT in conversations:

• Andrew: Will you cover for me at work this weekend?
• Cathy: What?! You want ILYLT too?!

• Nick: Can you lend me $25 until the end of the month? ILYLT.
• Dave: No problem, but I'd rather just be friends.

An Academic Look at ILYLT

As it is pronounced using its individual letters (i.e., "Eye Ell Why Ell Tee"), ILYLT 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 "I Love You Long Time" instead of using the abbreviation ILYLT.

Example of ILYLT Used in a Text

You might also like...