Meaning:
“天” means “heaven,” while both “啦” and “噜” are just exclamations without a specific meaning. The equivalent to “OMG” (oh my god), this slang term is popular in Taiwan, and has spread to all parts of China. Taiwanese singer Jolin Tsai uses it a lot, and Chinese netizens now use the term to express their astonishment.
Example:
A: 我昨天遇到小林，天啦噜，她简直瘦成一道闪电了。
Wǒ zuótiān yùdào xiǎolín, tiānlalu, tā jiǎnzhí shòu chéng yīdào shǎndiàn le。
I ran into Xiao Lin yesterday. OMG, she’s lost much weight and is so skinny now.
B: 她不是病了吧？
Tā bùshì bìng le ba?
Is she all right?
A: 我听说她是失恋太伤心了。
Wǒ tīngshuō tā shì shīliàn tài shāngxīn le。
I hear that she’s been distraught since her ex dumped her.
(First editor: Debra Li)