Where it sits
Hmu usually leaves the timing to the other person: the door is open, walk through when you like.
Tell it apart
| Aspect | Hmu | Lmk |
|---|---|---|
| Stands for | Hit me up | Let me know |
| Asks for | Contact | Information |
| Typical use | Open invitation | Pending decision |
Hmu asks the other person to start the next conversation. Lmk asks them to report back on something specific.
What it really means
Hmu is an open door in three letters. It stands for "hit me up", meaning get in touch, and it's usually offered without a deadline: message me whenever, about whatever.
"Hit up" in this sense is older than the abbreviation. Green's Dictionary of Slang records it as US campus slang meaning "to contact, usually by mobile phone", with a citation from 2001, and notes "h.m.u." as its short form. It makes sense that phones would produce it: once you can be reached any time, the polite thing is to say so.
The abbreviation then spread online. Dictionary.com finds the earliest Urban Dictionary entry in April 2009 and says Google searches for hmu peaked in July 2011. It also records a 2011 story of a teenager using it on a giant cardboard sign to ask someone to prom.
Today hmu works in two directions. Sent to one person, it's a gentle prompt: "hmu when you're done with work". Posted publicly, it's an invitation to anyone: "spare ticket for Saturday, hmu". Its close relative is lmk ("let me know"). Hmu asks you to start the next conversation; lmk asks you to finish this one.
Where it comes from
hit
me
up
"Hit up" in the sense "contact" is recorded as US campus slang; the abbreviation followed once phones and messaging made the request routine.
- 2001
Green's Dictionary of Slang records "hit up" meaning "to contact, usually by mobile phone" in US campus slang, with "h.m.u." noted as its abbreviation.
- April 2009
Earliest Urban Dictionary entry for hmu (Dictionary.com).
- July 2011
Google searches for hmu peak, according to Dictionary.com.
In real life
- Text: "I've got a spare ticket for Saturday, hmu if you want it"
- Text: "back in town next week, hmu!"
- Text: "hmu when you're done with work"
Questions
Q01What does hmu mean in a text?
"Hit me up": get in touch. "Hmu when you're free" means message or call me when you have time.
Q02What does hmu mean on social media?
The same, but usually as an open invitation to anyone reading: "selling my old bike, hmu" or "in London this week, hmu".
Q03Where does "hit me up" come from?
Green's Dictionary of Slang records "hit up" as US campus slang for contacting someone, usually by mobile phone, with a 2001 citation. Dictionary.com finds the abbreviation hmu on Urban Dictionary by April 2009.
Q04Can hmu mean anything else?
Occasionally "hook me up", meaning "sort me out with something". Read the context: an open "hmu" on a post almost always means "get in touch".