Relax, "GN" Doesn’t Secretly Stand for "Get Naked" on TikTok

There are a lot of things we don’t understand about TikTok, but we like to think that, for the most part, we get it. Still, every once in a while, something happens on TikTok that leaves us scratching our heads. Sometimes it’s a challenge or trend that seems to be taking over the video-sharing app. Today, it’s the #gn hashtag.

There are tons of videos that use the #gn hashtag on TikTok — together, they have a combined total over more than 200 million views. Clearly, something about the #gn hashtag is popular with TikTok users — but what does “gn” really mean?

There are at least two theories about what “gn” means on TikTok (or elsewhere), but we’re pretty sure the more innocent one is correct. If you came here expecting to learn that “gn” has some sort of unsavory background, be prepared to feel a little silly.

If you scroll through the #gn hashtag on TikTok, the vast majority of the videos using that tag seem to take place in the evening. Around when people would be getting in bed. That’s because (drumroll, please) “gn” just stands for “goodnight.” 

It seems like some TikTok users upload videos of them wishing their followers goodnight and honestly, it’s often super wholesome and kind of adorable. Tons of people spend a lot of late-night time scrolling through their various feeds — why not take advantage of that and make content specifically for that time period?

Some sources have been reporting that “gn” actually stands for something a little more risque — specifically, as an initialism for “get naked.” We checked for people using “gn” on other social media sites as well but weren’t able to find any instances where it seemed like the content creator was encouraging people to undress.

It’s certainly possible that someone is using “gn” to mean “get naked,” but the vast majority of the content uploaded or tweeted with a “gn” tag is just meant to wish followers a good night. The closest thing we found to someone using “gn” to mean “get naked” is an excerpt from this e-book of internet slang that says “GNOC” means “get naked on camera.” However, it also says that “GRUIT” means “get real you impudent thing” — needless to say, we’re not particularly inclined to trust that source.

We also found a popular YouTube video where someone spammed “gn” in the chat while gaming online. One of the top comments on that video says that “gn” means “get naked,” but looking at the replies to that comment makes it pretty obvious it was meant as a joke.

Obviously, one of the hallmarks of online language (and, indeed, most languages) is that it’s constantly changing and evolving. Could “gn” mean something unsavory in certain parts of the internet? Perhaps! Or it might in the future. For the most part, though, it’s just nice people wishing nice things for their nice followers. There’s no need to freak out just yet.