- A very informal greeting, short for What's up?.
- Asks What's new? or How are you? in a very casual way.
Explanation
Origin
- Direct shortening of What's up?.
- Popularized in the late 20th century, particularly through American youth culture and media. Its usage grew alongside Yo.
Synonyms & Related Expressions
Alternatives
Slang/Informal:
- Wagwan? (UK/Jamaican Patois)
- What it do? (US South/AAVE influence)
- How you livin'? (AAVE influence)
Milder/Standard:
- What's up?
- How are you?
- Hey / Hi
Situational Appropriateness
- Extremely informal. Suitable only for close friends, peers, and very casual situations.
- Avoid in any formal or professional context, or when showing respect is important. It can sound dismissive or overly casual.
Misunderstanding Warnings
- Similar to What's up?, non-native speakers might try to answer too literally or formally. The expected response is usually brief and equally informal.
- The main risk is using it inappropriately in formal settings.
Examples
- (Passing a friend in the hallway) Sup?
- (Answering the phone casually) Sup.
- Sup, dude?
Dialogue
Context
Jake: (Nods as he walks past) Sup, Maya?
Maya: (Nods back) Sup.
(They continue walking in opposite directions)
*Alternatively:*
Carlos: Sup, man?
Dave: Not much, just grabbing coffee. You?
Carlos: Same. Heading to class.
Social Media Examples
- Snapchat caption on a selfie: Sup
- Text message: Sup, wanna hang later?
- Discord server greeting: yo sup everyone
Response Patterns
- Sup (Mirroring the greeting)
- Not much / Nothing much
- Same old
- Chillin' / Just chillin'
- Hey / Yo
- Sometimes a nod or minimal gesture is sufficient acknowledgment.
Common Follow-up Questions/Actions
- Often, there's no expectation of a detailed answer. The exchange can be very brief (Sup? Sup.).
- If the responder says Not much, the asker might follow up with What are you up to? or share their own news.
- It often serves as just a quick mutual acknowledgement before moving on or starting a different topic.
Conversation Starter
- Yes. A very common, quick, and informal conversation starter or mutual greeting.
Intonation
- Often said quickly with a slightly rising inflection at the end, indicating a casual question. Sup?
- Can also be said with a flat, low tone as a minimal acknowledgement or greeting, almost like a statement. Sup.
Generation Differences
- Most common among teens and young adults (Gen Z, younger Millennials).
- Understood by older generations but used less frequently by them.
Regional Variations
- Very common in American English (US).
- Used and understood in other English-speaking countries (Canada, UK, Australia) due to media influence, but perhaps less frequently than in the US. In the UK, Alright? serves a similar function.