Understanding the Meaning of 'Poke': A Definition in Vietnamese Contexts

The terms ‘poke’ has lately became a hipster word, particular for Vietnamese’s youngsters in years. And then a lot of people ask, ‘What is poke? or What is poke? ’ The meaning can change based on its context, but generally speaking, poke meaning is a light tap or touch. This is a social behavior people tend to employ to call attention or as playful act.

In case anyone wants to explain poke in layman’s terms, a poke is akin to poking someone on the arm/shoulder; it’s like saying “hi,” only without using your mouth, basically. In the digital world, particularly on social media forums, ‘poke’ has also acquired a virtual connotation, when one pokes is actually reaching out to greet or make contact with other friends.

To explain how it’s used I think that it is necessary to understand what poke meaningits as a simple, non aggressive tool used online to say hello or hey/whats up among friends especially when chatting on Facebook. When you determine poke, you understand poke is both physical act and symbolic gesture towards others. In Vietnamese culture, the act of poking is not as formal and the term poke does not even exist in Vietnamese however young users do like to show that they are aware and engage with others by sending a virtual poke.

So, to summarize, poke is a soft tap or digital push that doesn’t require words to initiate conversation. The meaning of poke is still a new word especially for older people, the meaning will change as technology develops digital and social norms evolve: even being the case this possibility does not represent what its shape might seem like to “because poking in Facebook means being polite or saying hello from time to time” if you have something more visual it’s only a reminder.