Definition
嗯 (ǹg) is a versatile interjection whose meaning changes with tone: a falling tone (ǹg) signals agreement ('mm-hmm'), a rising tone (ńg) expresses doubt or question ('huh?'), and a prolonged or neutral tone indicates hesitation ('um...'). It's a common spoken filler in Chinese.
interjection
expressing agreementacknowledgment (mm-hmm, okay)expressing doubt or question (huh?, what?)expressing hesitation or thinking (um, well)
Easily confused
- 咽yànlook-aliketo swallow
Examples
- 嗯,,。ǹg, hǎo de, wǒ mǎshàng dào.Okay, I'll be right there.
- 嗯??ǹg? Nǐ gāng shuō shénme?Huh? What did you just say?
- 嗯,。ǹg, ràng wǒ zài xiǎngxiang.Um, let me think about it a bit more.
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