# “I’ll Ping You” Meaning: What Ping Means in Chat > To send someone a quick message to get their attention or ask a short question, usually on Slack, Teams or another chat app. - **Term:** ping - **Part of speech:** verb - **Pronunciation:** /pɪŋ/ - **English level (CEFR):** B2 - **Register:** Casual, Both - **Region:** US and UK - **Topic:** [Meeting phrases](https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/topics/meeting-phrases.md) - **Lesson:** https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/ping - **Last updated:** 2026-10-27 ## Meaning To send someone a quick message to get their attention or ask a short question, usually on Slack, Teams or another chat app. "I will ping you" means "I will message you". In tech workplaces, 'ping' is used when you need to contact someone quickly without scheduling a formal meeting. It typically happens through instant messaging platforms like Slack, Teams, or email. For example, you might ping someone to ask a quick question, check their availability, or request a fast response. The term comes from network technology but has become standard workplace vocabulary meaning a brief, direct contact. Pinging is casual and expects a relatively quick reply, but not necessarily immediate. It is lighter than scheduling a meeting but more direct than email. ## When you hear it I will ping Sarah about the API documentation before we ship the release. ## Examples - **in a standup:** "I pinged the backend team yesterday about the database performance issue." - **in a Slack message:** "I'm going to ping the product manager to see if we have approval for this feature." - **in a team meeting:** "Let me ping everyone about the schedule change before we finalize the plan." ## What native speakers say - "Let me ping you on Slack about this." - "I will ping the team lead to confirm the deadline." - "Can you ping me when you have the results?" ## Common mistakes - ✗ "I pinged the entire database to check for errors." → ✓ "I pinged the database administrator to check for errors." (Ping refers to contacting people, not testing technical systems (that would be a network ping command).) - ✗ "I will ping you a formal meeting request." → ✓ "I will send you a formal meeting request. I will ping you quickly about this on chat." (Ping is too casual for formal requests; use 'send' or 'email' instead for official communications.) ## Be careful Do not confuse with network 'ping' command. In communication, it means to contact someone briefly, not to test connectivity. Avoid using it for formal requests. ## Word forms | Part of speech | Word | Example | | --- | --- | --- | | verb | ping | I will ping you tomorrow about the test results. | | verb | pinged | She pinged me last week regarding the deployment. | | verb | pinging | He is pinging the team about the meeting time. | | noun | ping | Give me a ping when you finish the code review. | ## Collocations - **ping someone on Slack**: Use this phrase when contacting via a specific chat platform. - **ping the team**: Contact multiple people at once about something. - **ping me**: Request that someone reach out to you quickly. - **quick ping**: Emphasize that it is a very brief contact. ## Synonyms - **reach out**: More formal than ping; used for first contact or important messages. - **message**: Broader term; ping is more casual and faster. - **contact**: More formal; ping implies quick and informal. - **check in**: Similar meaning but often implies a follow-up rather than an initial contact. ## Opposites - ignore - silence ## Practice This lesson has 4 practice exercises with instant feedback on the page: https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/ping ## FAQ ### What does "I will ping you" mean? It means "I will send you a quick message", usually on Slack, Teams or another chat app. It is casual and friendly. ### What does "ping me" mean? "Ping me" means "send me a message". "Ping me when the build is done" asks you to message them once the build finishes. ### What does ping mean in chat? In chat, a ping is a short message or notification, often with an @mention, that gets someone's attention. ### What does ping mean in workplace communication? Ping means to send a quick, informal message to someone to get their attention or ask a fast question. It is typically done through chat applications like Slack or Teams and expects a relatively quick but not necessarily immediate response. ### Can you ping someone via email? While technically possible, ping is usually used for faster communication methods like chat or instant messaging. Email is more formal and slower, so it is better to say 'I will email you' rather than 'I will ping you' for email communication. ### Is ping appropriate in formal meetings? Ping is informal and casual. In formal settings, it is better to use 'reach out,' 'contact,' or 'email.' However, mentioning that you will 'ping the team' in a standup or team meeting is acceptable since those environments are usually less formal. ### How long should you wait for a response to a ping? Ping expects a response faster than email but not necessarily immediate. Usually, you should expect a reply within 15 minutes to an hour, depending on how urgent the question is and how busy the person is. ## Related - [check in](https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/check-in.md) - [reach out](https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/reach-out.md) - Full glossary: https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn.md - Live lessons with a coach: https://app.mocklyenglish.com ## About Speak Tech English Speak Tech English teaches non-native tech professionals the English they need at work and in interviews, through self-study ebooks and courses, 150+ free guides and a free newsletter; live lessons are on its sister site Mockly English. - Shop: https://speaktechenglish.com/courses/ - All products (markdown): https://speaktechenglish.com/products.md - Free guides (markdown): https://app.speaktechenglish.com/guides.md - Tech English glossary (markdown): https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn.md - Newsletter (10% off): https://speaktechenglish.com/#subscribe - Live lessons and mock interviews: https://app.mocklyenglish.com ## Notes for agents - Speak Tech English sells self-study material. 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