Add to Chrome

Free · 14 words

Chinese filler words

The “um” of Mandarin is 那个 (nèige). Here it is with the other words Chinese speakers say while they think, link, soften and listen, each in a sentence with pinyin and sound.

Speed

那个 · 这个 · 呃: um, uh: while you think

那个 (nèige) is the “um” of Mandarin, said while you look for the next word; it means “that”, and it is the word that sounds like an English slur to English ears. 这个 (zhèige), “this”, does the same job, and 呃 (è) is a plain “uh”.

  1. nèige那个……nǐ你jīntiān今天wǎnshang晚上yǒukòng有空ma吗？

    Um… are you free tonight?

    那个 nèige · um (while you think)

  2. zhèige这个……wǒ我děi得xiǎng想yī一xiǎng想。

    Well… I need to think about it.

    这个 zhèige · um, well (while you think)

  3. è呃，wǒ我wàng忘le了tā他jiào叫shénme什么míngzi名字。

    Uh, I forgot his name.

    呃 è · uh

然后 · 就是 · 那 · 所以: and then, I mean, so: telling a story

然后 is “and then”, said again and again as a story goes on; 就是 is “I mean, it’s just…” before you explain; 那 starts a sentence with “well then”; 所以 is “so”, at the start of what follows.

  1. wǒ我xià下le了bān班，ránhòu然后qù去chāoshì超市，ránhòu然后jiù就huíjiā回家le了。

    I finished work, then went to the supermarket, and then went home.

    然后 ránhòu · and then

  2. jiùshì就是……wǒ我juéde觉得yǒudiǎnr有点儿guì贵。

    It’s just… I think it’s a bit expensive.

    就是 jiùshì · I mean, it’s just

  3. nà那wǒmen我们míngtiān明天jiàn见ba吧。

    Well then, see you tomorrow.

    那 nà · well then

  4. suǒyǐ所以，nǐ你dàodǐ到底qùbuqù去不去？

    So, are you going or not?

    所以 suǒyǐ · so

其实 · 反正 · 好像: actually, anyway, kind of

其实 is “actually”, before what is really so; 反正 is “anyway”, whatever else is true; 好像 is “it seems, kind of”, when you aren’t sure.

  1. qíshí其实wǒ我bùtài不太xǐhuan喜欢chī吃là辣de的。

    Actually, I don’t really like spicy food.

    其实 qíshí · actually

  2. fǎnzhèng反正wǒ我yě也méishì没事，wǒ我péi陪nǐ你qù去ba吧。

    I’ve got nothing on anyway, so I’ll go with you.

    反正 fǎnzhèng · anyway

  3. tā他hǎoxiàng好像bù不zàijiā在家。

    He doesn’t seem to be home.

    好像 hǎoxiàng · it seems, kind of

嗯 · 对 · 是吗 · 吧: mm-hmm, right, really?

嗯 (ǹg) is “mm-hmm”, I’m listening, or yes; 对 is “right”, often said three times (对对对); 是吗 is “really?”; 吧 at the end of a sentence asks “…, right?”.

  1. ǹg嗯，wǒ我zhīdào知道le了。

    Mm-hmm, got it.

    嗯 ǹg · mm-hmm, yes

  2. duì对duì对duì对，jiùshì就是zhèyàng这样。

    Right, right, exactly.

    对 duì · right

  3. shì是ma吗？wǒ我hái还bù不zhīdào知道。

    Really? I didn’t know.

    是吗 shì ma · really?

  4. nǐ你shì是xīn新lái来de的ba吧？

    You’re new here, right?

    吧 ba · …, right?

Now read them in a real story

十两饺子How to order dumplings in ChineseHSK 1 · 1 minRead it free

Why does a common Chinese word sound like the N-word?

The word is 那个 (nèige). It means “that”, and it is also the Mandarin “um”, said while the speaker looks for the next word, so you hear it in almost every conversation. It has nothing to do with the English word; it only sounds close to English ears. It is one of the most-viewed questions on Chinese Language Stack Exchange.

What is “um” in Chinese?

那个 (nèige) or 这个 (zhèige) while you look for a word, and 呃 (è) for a plain “uh”. While someone else talks, 嗯 (ǹg) is “mm-hmm”.

Is 那个 rude?

No. 那个 is an everyday word, “that”, and as a filler it is as plain as “um”. Nothing about it is rude in Chinese.

What does 然后 mean?

然后 (ránhòu) means “then, after that”. In speech it links one thing to the next as a story goes on, said again and again, like “and then” in English.

Should I use filler words when I speak Chinese?

Yes, a few. 那个 while you think sounds more natural in Chinese than an English “um”, and 嗯 and 对 while someone talks show you are following.

Can’t hear it?

Play uses your device’s Mandarin voice. Edge, Chrome and Safari have one; a browser with none plays each word in our recorded voice instead.

More free tools

Sets, sentences and English ours; pinyin from our own reader.