Meaning & use
sup man
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Meaning
phrasefixed phraseinformal
A very informal greeting used between friends, especially men, asking how someone is or what is happening.
Grammar: Used as a standalone greeting or followed by a name: 'Sup man, how's it going?' It does not take an object.
Patterns
- sup man
- sup, man
Hey, sup man? I haven't seen you in ages.
He walked into the room and said, 'Sup man?' to everyone.
Sup man, you coming to the game tonight?
Common combinations
- sup man, how's it going
- Sup man, how's it going? Long time no see.
- say sup man
- He just said 'sup man' and kept walking.
- sup man, what's up
- Sup man, what's up with you these days?
Synonyms and how they differ
- hey man
- A slightly more neutral informal greeting; 'hey man' can be used with acquaintances, while 'sup man' is usually for closer friends.
- what's up
- The full form of the greeting; it is more widely understood and can be used in a slightly broader range of casual situations.
Word family
- sup interjection
- A short informal greeting, short for 'what's up'.
Commonly confused: sup man or sup?
sup man vs sup
'Sup' alone is the same greeting but shorter; 'sup man' adds 'man' as a friendly address. 'Sup' can also be a verb meaning to eat supper, which is unrelated.
Practice
Which situation is most appropriate for saying 'sup man'?
Choose one answer.
'Sup man' is very informal and friendly, so it fits a casual setting with a close friend. The other options are formal or unfamiliar situations where a more standard greeting like 'Hello' or 'Good morning' is expected.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “sup man”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.