What does “IMHO” mean on forums and in comments? definition, meaning, translation. IMHO what does this mean: correct decoding, scope of slang

In the last 20 years, Internet slang has been developed on the global network and is used by many users of the World Wide Web. “Neasilil”, “preved”, “lol” - many unenlightened people are at a loss when they encounter these words. Over time, Internet jargon gained popularity, and the main donor became English. In addition, many expressions quickly migrated into colloquial speech: “yuzat” - “to use”, “bug” - “error”, “fake” - fake. The abbreviation “IMHO,” which is incomprehensible to some, is no exception. What does this seemingly meaningless set of letters mean?

This acronym (an abbreviation formed by initial sounds) came to us from English around the late nineties of the last century. This is how the sentence is formed in the language of Shakespeare and Byron: “In My Humble Opinion.” Translation of the expression: “in my humble opinion.” The phrase has another etymological component: “In my honest opinion,” which translates as “In my honest opinion.”

There is also a version that the abbreviation appeared thanks to a child who played Scrabble with his father (analogue in Russia - Scrabble) and, not having come up with any word from the available letters, posted it. My father immediately shared the event on the forum, giving occasionalism a new full-fledged life.

Reasons for using IMHO in the Russian-speaking environment

1. Laconism. What explains the use of IMHO? As Anton Pavlovich Chekhov said: “Brevity is the sister of talent.” In dynamic Internet dialogues, “hammering” 4 letters is much faster than using constructions like “In my opinion...”, “In my opinion...”, “My opinion on this matter is...”

The richness of the Russian language

Oh, this one is great and mighty. What kind of decryptions are not offered. The initial part of “IM” is almost always identical, but then various variations with different shades are used: “I have an opinion, I want to voice it,” “Individual Opinion of the Answer Owner.” There are also ironic definitions of “I have an Opinion, Although It’s Wrong.” But in English-speaking countries, several definitions of the phrase IMHO have been invented: “In my hesitating opinion”, (in my indecisive opinion) “In my highest opinion” (“In my highest opinion”), etc.

Indicator of dominance in a dispute

IMHO it is almost always written using the " Caps Lock", having an expressive connotation. An expression written using “caps” represents the cry of this or that user, and this, in turn, is an indicator of excessive confidence of the inhabitant of this or that forum, especially if IMHO is at the end of the sentence. Thus, we can note the fact that the use of this expression forms a self-centered and unchallenged position of the author. Paradoxically, IMHO it is also an indicator of respect for your opponent. In this case, IMHO has capital letters and is at the beginning of the thesis of the author of the post.

Usage examples

Found on the Internet:

• “Homemade pies are much tastier than store-bought ones IMHO”;
• “The historian is always aware of the patterns that connect sections of history on both sides of the point - and this, IMHO, is far from the case”;
• “IMHO, hieroglyphic writing is an anachronism.”

Appropriate and inappropriate use

The main medium for mentioning this abbreviation is global network Internet. People use IMHO when writing comments, reviews or when blogging, for example, in Live Journal (livejournal). But in lately some citizens use “IMHO” in colloquial speech. In Internet sources you can find the inflected form: “without imha”, “according to imkha”. Linguists advise not to use this expression in official or business speech. Some foreign sources advise using the phrase only if you are closely acquainted with the interlocutor. If the messaging is in a professional context with someone at work or with a client or supplier outside your company, then it is best to avoid such abbreviations. Using the full spelling of words shows professionalism and respectability towards the speaker.

"Imhoism"

Nevertheless, a movement has formed in the Russian language, for whose representatives IMHO has become a philosophy of life. Some have even been called “Imkhoshniks” - people who stand by their position, even if it goes against common sense, who do not compromise and accept the statements or assumptions of other people. Thus, the word is moving further and further away from its original meaning; “humble opinion” is no longer in fashion. The lexeme has a negative, contemptuous connotation. People “without a king in their head” have filled the Internet space everywhere, so very often many “imkhoshniks” become “trolls” in the media environment.

In order to answer this question, I will start with Internet memes. What is it? This is some phrase or other information, often without any meaning, that suddenly gains enormous popularity on the Internet. Moreover, in in this case It doesn’t matter at all where it was distributed: through mail, on blogs, on forums, through instant messengers, and so on.

Memes begin to spread across the network very quickly, but only if the information leaves enough people indifferent large number users. At the dawn of the Internet, these were various jokes or, say, GIF files. Subsequently, flash videos, videos, and so on appeared. Today, the most popular memes are still phrases and pictures depicting something.

One of the most popular Russian memes is the saying “Preved, bear!”, which gained incredible popularity in 2006. But just someone redrew the picture of the American artist and actor John Lurie in a simpler style, where the bear saw a couple on the field and raised his hands up, as if welcoming her, shouting “Preved!”

IMHO

The word IMHO, which has been so popular in RuNet today for many years, is also a kind of meme that Russian users have fallen in love with. But despite all its popularity, many people do not even know what this phrase means, although everything is very simple.

In fact, the phrase IMHO came to us from the foreign Internet and its original is written like this - IMHO, which stands for in my humble opinion (“In my humble opinion...”). However, in some cases the word humble is replaced with horrible, which can be translated as “terrible.”

Today, the expression can most often be found on various forums or chats. Imagine that someone started talking about what movie they watched yesterday. You have also seen this movie before and instead of writing, for example, “In my opinion, the picture...” you can simply put IMHO. For example, “IMHO, the film turned out great.” It is also worth noting the fact that initially for a long time the phrase was written exclusively in English, but then someone, apparently, just got tired of constantly switching, and he began to write the word in Russian letters.

In a free Russian translation, IMHO has several different meanings. Among them are “I have an opinion, albeit a mistaken one”, “Individual opinion of the owner of the answer”, “I have an opinion, I want to voice it” and so on. Among them there are even obscene ones, but for obvious reasons I will not publish them.

So in what cases should we use this abbreviation? When we want to express our own opinion regarding something. In addition, a word allows you to communicate faster on the Internet, and it also makes you an “advanced” user. However, every year imho is found less and less often in jargon.

In our country, the Internet appeared at the end 90 -s of the last century and it was a mysterious curiosity accessible to a lucky few.
A lot of time passed before it became a familiar feature in almost every apartment. The Internet provides the user with the opportunity to plunge into the world of entertainment, games, films. There are thematic forums where citizens share daily and painful issues.
You have probably noticed incomprehensible terms and words found in the vastness of the great network. In chats, forums and blogs, no, no, and mysterious concepts slip through. One of these words is “IMHO”.
More and more often it can be seen not only on purely male resources, but also on women’s forums, where ladies try to outdo each other in their knowledge of unusual terms and words.
Many citizens are perplexed by the word “IMHO” and they try to find the answer to this term on the Internet.

The history of the term "IMHO"

What is an acronym?

Many Internet users believe that"IMHO" Means"in my humble opinion". If we go to the site online translator and write this phrase, then in translation it will sound like"In My Humble Opinion".
It was from the acronym “IMHO” that the Russian “IMHO” was formed. In a broad interpretation, this means that a citizen expresses only his personal point of view and does not claim more.

Some advanced Internet users believe that the abbreviation "IMHO" was formed from " I have an opinion, albeit a mistaken one". In fact, this is only an ironic version, and the very meaning of the expression has become slightly different from the original one.

Some people ask the question, how to write “IMHO” correctly?

We all use the Internet, social communities, forums. We learn a lot of new and interesting things from the Internet, and at the same time we meet not only useful and necessary information, but also criticism. And we often see how people use the word IMHO. For many Internet users, the word is mysterious and unusual; many are perplexed when trying to understand the meaning of this word.

General definition

The word IMHO, as it were, softens those thoughts and sentences that stand before it and, as it were, make it clear to the interlocutor that there are many judgments and what the author said is not necessarily correct.

A person who uses the word IMHO represents his friendly disposition and readiness for discussion.

Some believe that it originated among those who love science fiction and then found its way onto the Internet. However, now it can be heard even offline, in everyday speech.

Origin of the word

If you take an interest in the history of the origin of the word, it turns out that it is an acronym. An acronym is a special type of abbreviation that was formed from the first letters of a sentence.

The word IMHO is borrowed from foreign jargon. There are Internet users who believe that the word “IMHO” is derived from the phrase “I have judgment, albeit incorrect,” but this is an ironic version.

The word is actually of English origin IMHO, the full phrase means "In My Humble Opinion" and translates to "In my humble opinion". From this phrase the acronym IMHO was formed. If we understand it broadly, then the present means that a person has expressed his opinion, his point of view.

Thus, the English word was replaced by Russian word IMHO. In Russian, borrowed words always change. So this word has somewhat lost its meaning. Modern meaning words: the one who used this word believes that his opinion is truly and the only correct one.

It must be emphasized that for a long time this expression was written exclusively in English. But then, apparently, Internet users got tired of pressing a lot of keys, as well as switching the keyboard from English to Russian, and began to write IMHO exclusively in Russian.

Of course, borrowing words from other languages ​​is a completely normal and natural phenomenon, it is an inevitable part of progress, and we cannot escape it. Always, at all times, when social conditions changed, changes came in both language and culture.

Many people say that they are not supporters of imitating other languages, but when it comes to games and forums, this is completely normal here.

When, in what cases and by whom is it used?

• The expression IMHO can be placed at the end of a statement if you want to inform your interlocutor that you do not consider your opinion unshakable.
• “IMHO” in relation to an online interlocutor is a criterion of respect. Therefore, it is frequent even in online conversations of work colleagues.
• You can also communicate your right to free speech if you use this expression.
• Those who admit their mistakes may also use this word frequently. If you do not seek to impose your opinion on others, also use the word IMHO.

The original meaning of this acronym has changed a lot and now no one can tell the only reason for this. Self-confident individuals who do not like criticism of themselves use the word most often.

Synonyms

• “Personal judgment of the owner of the answer”,
• “I have my own opinion - I want to voice it,”
• “I have my opinion - I want to express it,”
• “Personal opinion of the owner of the answer”,
• “I have an opinion - you won’t object.”

Use

When communicating on the Internet, social networks, on forums, using the word IMHO allows you to communicate more comfortably. The fact that you speak the appropriate slang makes you more advanced in the eyes of other users. New Internet users, seeing such a word for the first time, may not understand it and be perplexed, but after time, they get used to it and use it themselves. But there are also users who do not want to use the word IMHO.

Even though you use this acronym on the Internet without any problems, do not forget that in ordinary conversation it will sound strange and inappropriate.

This word can be used anywhere. It confirms your personal view, it can be used as an introductory word, but at the same time it serves in a discussion to clarify something and has no special meaning. It happens that this word, on the contrary, emphasizes the intractability of the dispute and the fact that it is impossible to convince a person.

Correct spelling

There are no uniform rules here; you can write in small letters and capital letters, since this word is used not only as an acronym, but also as a slang word. The stress in this word should be placed on the first syllable, on the letter “I”. “IMHO” refers to the neuter gender and is subject to declension. There may also be a plural form of the word - “imhi”. But in the composition difficult words it is practically not observed.

Is it worth using IMHO in conversation?

In oral conversation there is no point in inserting the word IMHO; the Russian language has enough wonderful words to express one’s thoughts and desires, so why even this incomprehensible expression? Those people who actively use this word on the Internet do not use it in conversation, because your interlocutor may not know its meaning. Let's respect and value our native language and speak only in pure language, not clogged with foreign words.

There is an opinion that no matter how much people love slang words and expressions, people are able to understand what these very expressions mean only when it is explained to them in the simplest, absolutely correct Russian language. Therefore, those who believe that soon almost everyone will switch to abbreviations and slang words are far from right. People will stop understanding each other.

If you do not want to express any positions or opinions that do not coincide with others, different from the opinions of others, then you can completely do without using this strange word.

But if you still want to tell everyone about your own opinion, then put IMHO at the end of the sentence. For example: “Instead of lending money to a person, it’s better to give him money,” IMHO.”

You must understand this thing: your use of this word in sentences does not make you right a priori. Also, this word cannot be an argument in any disputes, discussions, debates. The word IMHO can never soften your impartial or offensive words if you said them before using the word IMHO. So think before you use this word, whether it will be appropriate or whether it is better to refrain from using it.

Usage examples

• “In this situation it would be good not to offend anyone, IMHO.”
• “She doesn't deserve more. IMHO."
• “They don’t pay us for our work, which means we can also be late for work.” Of course, IMHO."
• “The most terrible character trait is envy. IMHO, of course."

We put the word IMHO in all these cases, as if to indicate that in this case we only have our own opinion, and the opinions of other people may not coincide with our opinion, but we understand this perfectly well, and are not against it.

By using this acronym in our sentences and phrases, we emphasize our friendliness towards our interlocutors. This strange expression or word was invented precisely for this purpose.

IMHO - what does this mean? How to use it on the Internet? What is the history of the appearance of this expression, so often used on the Internet, especially in chat rooms and forums.

Surely, in addition to the word IMHO, you have often come across others in blogs, chats and forums: CEP, LOL, Offtopic, Flood, Flame and so on.

From this article you will learn about the original meaning expressions “IMHO” and the meaning in which now it has become common to use it.

There are two versions of the origin of this letter combination. According to the first, the abbreviation IMHO was first used by one of the participants in the forum of science fiction fans.

IMHO, as it looks in the original, is an abbreviation for the stable phrase “In My Humble Opinion,” which translates as “In my humble opinion.”

The Internet dictates its own rules and for the sake of speed, the combination of 4 words has been reduced to 4 letters. And this is understandable, because four characters can be typed faster than seventeen.

The second version of the origin IMHO: a certain father played a game of letters “Scrabble” with his child. The child could not form the word and replaced it with a combination of letters IMHO.

IMHO - what does this mean?

Based on the translation, which contains the word “modest,” it can be assumed that when people expressed their opinions, they did not claim the truth. But they voiced it softly and correctly.

Initially, this was the case... until RuNet distorted the meaning of IMHO to mean exactly the opposite. The Internet has mercilessly turned a correct Internet abbreviation into a “secateur” for a dispute or discussion. If you are having a “small” conversation in a chat or blog and receive an IMHO response, this can be interpreted as follows: “This is my personal opinion, and discuss according to this issue I don’t intend to, even if it’s not true.”

It is difficult to say why the meaning of the phrase was so distorted. Perhaps our mentality is to blame. If on the English-language Internet IMHO is used to denote a modest opinion that claims to be the ultimate truth, then with the help of IMHO we put an end to the dispute. Or maybe this expression is more often used by overly self-confident people who are not accustomed to taking other people’s opinions into account.

So, IMHO is a word that means: in my opinion, or I think so. Using it significantly saves time and simplifies life. Wikipedia confirms that synonyms IMHO:

• in my opinion;
• In my opinion.

How to use it correctly IMHO?

If you communicate with the English-speaking public, then IMHO you should use it this way.

• Option 1. When you want to explain to your interlocutor that you are simply expressing your opinion and do not pretend to be recognized by others, put IMHO at the end of the statement.
• Option 2. You can use IMHO to express respect for your online interlocutor.
• Option 3. You can use IMHO to emphasize the right to personal opinion and freedom of speech.

If you communicate with your compatriots, then use IMHO this way.

If you got involved in an online discussion, expressed everything you think, saw the reaction and opinion of your interlocutor, then Then you can proceed like this:

• Option 1: put IMHO at the beginning of the sentence and then write reasons and arguments. This arrangement is interpreted as: “Hmm-hmm, actually, this is my point of view, and it has a right to exist”;
• Option 2: you place your reasons and arguments at the beginning, IMHO you put them at the end. And then this is a separate bold dot, meaning: “I think so and you will not be able to convince me.”

I wish everyone interesting interlocutors and useful inspiring communication, many new, bold ideas!