What Does “Foenem” & “OFN” Mean in Slang?

PDF download Download Article
Learn all the meanings and uses of the popular slang term
PDF download Download Article

Have you seen the slang term “foenem” or the abbreviation “OFN” on social media and were wondering what they meant? If so, you’ve come to the right place. “Foenem” is Chicago slang that most commonly refers to people close to you. However, the way it’s used can change the meaning. Read on to learn more about phrases that involve “foenem” and their many meanings.

What does “foenem” mean?

“Foenem” is a slang term meaning “friends and family” that reportedly came from Chicago gang culture. It’s most often used as part of the phrase “on foenem” (abbreviated as “OFN”), which has a meaning similar to “I swear.” People say “OFN” to emphatically confirm or agree with something that was said, similar to saying “I swear on my mama” or “I swear on my homies.”

Section 1 of 4:

Foenem Meaning

PDF download Download Article
  1. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/5\/53\/Foenem-Meaning-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Foenem-Meaning-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/5\/53\/Foenem-Meaning-Step-1.jpg\/v4-728px-Foenem-Meaning-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>\u00a9 2024 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. This image is <b>not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.<br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    It’s a generic term with roots in African-American Vernacular English that means a group of people you care about. It has a similar meaning to “posse” or “crew.” However, it can also be used to refer to an individual friend without naming them. [1]
    • Some feel that it’s a shortened form of “folks and them.”
    • It may also derive from “Four and them,” a reference to the Chicago Four Corners Hustlers gang.
    • “Foenem” is sometimes spelled “foe nem” or “foe n em.”
  2. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/4\/48\/Foenem-Meaning-Step-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Foenem-Meaning-Step-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/4\/48\/Foenem-Meaning-Step-2.jpg\/v4-728px-Foenem-Meaning-Step-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>\u00a9 2024 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. This image is <b>not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.<br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    Abbreviated as “OFN” for use in texts and on social media, “on foenem” means that you’re swearing on the lives of your crew to let someone know you’re serious and telling the truth. “On foenem grave” is a way to communicate that you are deathly serious, implying that you’re swearing on the graves of the people closest to you. [2]
    • “On foenem” can also mean “I agree with you” in some contexts.
    • “O4N” is another abbreviation sometimes used for “on foenem.”
    3. Advertisement
Section 2 of 4:

How to Use “Foenem”

PDF download Download Article
  1. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/f\/fb\/Foenem-Meaning-Step-3.jpg\/v4-460px-Foenem-Meaning-Step-3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/f\/fb\/Foenem-Meaning-Step-3.jpg\/v4-728px-Foenem-Meaning-Step-3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>\u00a9 2024 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. This image is <b>not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.<br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    Part of the reason you use “foenem” instead of just saying who you’re referring to is that you want to talk about your friends but don’t want to be more specific. “Foenem” is also used to talk about an individual friend when you don’t want to give a name. A few examples are:
    • “I was hanging with my foenem all night, so I didn’t get home until morning.”
    • “My foenem always has my back.”
    • “I’m meeting up with my foenem to catch a movie.”
    • “My foenem’s back in town to celebrate my birthday. It’s going to be a blast.”
    • “They better not mess with my foenem.”
  2. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/e\/e8\/Foenem-Meaning-Step-4.jpg\/v4-460px-Foenem-Meaning-Step-4.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/e\/e8\/Foenem-Meaning-Step-4.jpg\/v4-728px-Foenem-Meaning-Step-4.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>\u00a9 2024 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. This image is <b>not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.<br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    Use it in the same way as the phrases, “I swear on my mother’s life” or “word to my mother.” Because “foenem” means friends and family, saying “on foenem” means you’re swearing on the lives of the people closest to you. Saying “on foenem grave” makes the phrase even more serious. It’s like saying, “I swear on my mother’s grave.” It’s also used to ask someone if they’re being truthful.
    • “On foenem, last night, I saw the ghost of my grandma in the bathroom.”
    • “I found $200 in the pocket of my winter coat. On foenem.”
    • “My cousin Gina, on foenem, is going to be on TV in one of those singing competitions.”
    • “So you’re saying you ate that entire 4-tier cake all by yourself? On foenem?”
    • “You really just signed a record deal? On foenem?”
  3. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/3\/3e\/Foenem-Meaning-Step-5.jpg\/v4-460px-Foenem-Meaning-Step-5.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/3\/3e\/Foenem-Meaning-Step-5.jpg\/v4-728px-Foenem-Meaning-Step-5.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>\u00a9 2024 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. This image is <b>not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.<br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    Add it to a conversation like you would the phrases “no lie” or “truth.” If you respond to someone by saying, “Yeah, on foenem” they’ll understand that you’re on board with what they’re saying. A few other examples are:
    • Them: “He is the best-looking one in that group.”
      You: “On foenem.”
    • Them: “You can’t live in Florida in the summer without air conditioning. That’s a fact.”
      You: “On foenem.”
    • Them: “These fried dumplings are the best thing I’ve ever eaten in my entire life.”
      You: “On foenem.”
    • Them: “Chicago is my favorite city in the world.”
      You: “On foenem.”
    • Them: “I wish I was sitting on the beach sipping an umbrella drink right about now.”
      You: “On foenem.”
  4. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/9\/90\/Foenem-Meaning-Step-6.jpg\/v4-460px-Foenem-Meaning-Step-6.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/9\/90\/Foenem-Meaning-Step-6.jpg\/v4-728px-Foenem-Meaning-Step-6.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>\u00a9 2024 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. This image is <b>not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.<br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    It still means, “I swear,” but you’re making an oath to emphasize how irritated you are about something. Use it in conversation the same way you’d use the phrase, “I swear to god!” Some examples are: [3]
    • “On foenem, if you look at me like that one more time, I will leave this house.”
    • “Get over here right now, or on foenem, we can’t be friends anymore.”
    • “If someone doesn’t stop stealing the cheese off my sandwich at work, on foenem, I’m going to flip a table.”
    • “On foenem, I can not take another day of this heat.”
    • “On foenem, that fly is getting on my very last nerve.”
    5. Advertisement
Section 3 of 4:

Where did “foenem” come from?

PDF download Download Article
  1. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/f\/fb\/Foenem-Meaning-Step-7.jpg\/v4-460px-Foenem-Meaning-Step-7.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/f\/fb\/Foenem-Meaning-Step-7.jpg\/v4-728px-Foenem-Meaning-Step-7.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>\u00a9 2024 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. This image is <b>not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.<br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    It referred to the Four Corner Hustlers, who referred to each other as “foenem.” It came from the phrase “Four & them,” meaning the gang and their missing friends. Some believe the gang started to use the term in the early 2000s as a way for members to confirm their loyalty and respect for each other. [4]
    • The term began to show up in rap songs in the late 2010s. Chicago rappers like Chief Keef and King Vong helped the term gain popularity.
    • It has gained popularity in the wider culture after being used prominently on social media platforms like TikTok and Twitter. [5]
Section 4 of 4:

Alternative Meanings of ONF

PDF download Download Article
  1. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/6\/6c\/Foenem-Meaning-Step-8.jpg\/v4-460px-Foenem-Meaning-Step-8.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/6\/6c\/Foenem-Meaning-Step-8.jpg\/v4-728px-Foenem-Meaning-Step-8.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>\u00a9 2024 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. This image is <b>not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.<br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    It means a piece of information or gossip is out of date, or people have moved on from it. For example: “OFN, but I lost my favorite sweater a few weeks ago. You haven’t seen it, have you?” [6] Less often, “OFN” is used as an abbreviation for other unrelated phrases.
    • “Oh f*** no”
    • “On fleek now”
    • “Other f****** nonsense”
    • “Out for now”
    2. Advertisement

Expert Q&A

Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Video

      Tips

      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

      You Might Also Like

      Everything You Need to Know About Skibidi & Skibidi Toilet
      What Does "Sigma" Mean on TikTok?
      What Does "Bop" Mean in Slang & Why Is It Problematic for Girls?
      What Does "I'm Cooked" Mean? TikTok Slang, Explained
      What Does "Unc Status" Mean?
      What does "2 Man" Mean?
      What Did Doc Holliday Mean by “I’m Your Huckleberry”?
      What Zesty Really Means on TikTok
      What Does the Slang Term “FAFO” Mean? (Plus How to Use It)
      Everything You Need to Know About the “My Roman Empire” TikTok Trend
      What Is Glazing?
      Your Ultimate Guide to Millennial Slang
      What Does GGG Mean?
      What is “Rizz” and How Do You Get It?
      Advertisement

      References

      1. ↑ https://englishstudyonline.org/ofn-meaning/
      2. ↑ https://slang.net/meaning/on_foe_nem_grave
      3. ↑ https://slang.net/meaning/on_foe_nem_grave
      4. ↑ https://englishstudyonline.org/ofn-meaning/
      5. ↑ https://slang.net/meaning/foe_nem
      6. ↑ https://englishstudyonline.org/ofn-meaning/

      About This Article

      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 2,226 times.

      Did this article help you?

      Advertisement