Showing that you are listening to someone in a conversation

[Sachaoc]

I'm just wondering what words Chinese use to show that they are listening when having a conversation? I know  simple ones like 真的吗？对吗？ 是吗？

I teach basic Mandarin and I encourage my students to use these kinds of expressions to sound less like robots and more authentic and natural.

What other expressions could we use to mix it up a little?

Thanks in advance

[stapler]

嗯，喔

[889]

对呀！ 是呀！ 对对对！

[艾墨本]

Where I'm at, it's always 嗯嗯, pronounced like the "n" in "now" but without any vowels. just "n, n." Often said in quick rapid succession. 

[abcdefg]

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What other expressions could we use to mix it up a little?

 

I sometimes hear and use 明白 or 明白了。Not sure whether or not it might have a military "flavor." One of the guys from whom I picked it up here is a retired soldier and another guy who uses it a lot here is a cop.

[AdamD]

I've found 原來如此 ('I see') to be good, although you can't really say it constantly.

 

1 hour ago, 艾墨本 said:

Where I'm at, it's always 嗯嗯, pronounced like the "n" in "now" but without any vowels. just "n, n." Often said in quick rapid succession.

 

This is totally anecdotal and probably wrong, but I've been told 嗯嗯 is said mainly by women and 嗯 is more suited to men. Has anyone else heard this?

[NinKenDo]

Just go ugh ugh ugh over and over. If you have any Chinese friends just watch the way they communicate, it's pretty straightforward.

[889]

I've also been warned off using interjections too frequently. Not that they're wrong and not used frequently by native speakers, but that they sort of cheapen your Chinese. Like a non-native English speaker writing "wanna" instead of "want to."

[Luxi]

The engagement with the speaker is not only verbal. In Chinese TV programs, members of the audience often bob their heads up and down emphatically, at least when they notice the camera pointing at them. British audiences are rather static by comparison.