Jump to content
Chinese-Forums
  • Sign Up

The Chinese "Um"?


Wang Yao

Recommended Posts

Hey there everyone. This is something that has been puzzling me for a little while now - and that is, what word do Chinese use (orally) for what we have in English as "um"?

I have quite a few Chinese friends and I have heard a variety of these "pause-words" as I call them. The most common I've heard is people saying "那个。。。" throughout their sentences whenever they pause to think, though I have also heard the standard "mmm", "um", and sometimes just pure silence.

I'm wondering if there even is a standard "um" phrase (either orally or in the written language) in Chinese, what word is used most often, and does it really matter - is simply "um" like we say in English fine?

I know it seems like a weird question to ask, but I always find I get weird looks when I'm talking with my Chinese friends in Chinese and I burst out an "um". So, yeah, just wondering, really.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

- W. Yao.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@rivercao: Ah, okay - I'm guessing those three could be interchanged as well? (Like depending on the situation, would you use one more likely than another.. or would you just say whichever comes to mind first? Sorry if these seem like very basic/weird questions...)

@huaxia: Oh, I hadn't even thought of 嗯.. thank you! :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@rivercao: Ah, okay - I'm guessing those three could be interchanged as well? (Like depending on the situation, would you use one more likely than another.. or would you just say whichever comes to mind first? Sorry if these seem like very basic/weird questions...)

Different people use different words, I like to say "嗯" when orgamising my thoughts.

But in a lecture, or a seminar, you can't say "嗯' because if you say that audience will think you are not well prepared. Usually they say "那么" or "所以", like "so" in English.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It also seems fine to draw out the word while you think (但是rrr, 我觉得ehhh). I've been trying pretty hard lately to get rid of my um's and ahh's, especially as an ahh sound will throw off the listener thinking it's the start of another word.

Also, as rivercao pointed out, it's different in formal speech. Every English/public speaking class I've had says to drop the um's. It may seem like an eternity of awkward silence, but a second pause is nothing to worry about.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To err is human, especially when speaking a second language, so give yourself a break, Brian!:mrgreen:

I'd say that Taiwanese Mandarin speakers are past masters of the end particle, which could be seen as a hesitation on occasion, saying sentences like:

这到(is this the right dao4?)菜很好吃(噢), 可是臭豆腐很臭(ㄝ/也). 要不要去买别的东西来吃(吧/喽)

So you have an o(噢), an (ㄝ) or a ye (也), and then easily a ba or a lou (吧/喽) at the ends. I think this is totally natural, and these could all be seen as hesitation sounds/ words/ methods!:mrgreen:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

rivercao is right, the chinese don't really uhm. jiushishuo, jiushi, wo de yisi shi shuo, zhege, nage, these are all meaningless phrases (depending on the context of course) that can be used to buy yourself time when trying to say something difficult. us learners of chinese can also use it to trick chinese people into believing we can actually speak their language.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and select your username and password later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Click here to reply. Select text to quote.

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...