xinoxanu 152 Report post Posted September 21, 2020 @realmayo I mean it's just an interjection, so en, ah, oh or ha are exactly the same, but 嗯 is just the most common character to transcribe that sound as an standalone thing. You wouldn't use it at the end of a sentence like 啊 or 哦 though. @Shelley probably yes, but I'd say that in this kind of situation those are the most common ones AFAIK. But: - There's also 嘛. Used at the end of a sentence has a connotation of something being obvious. - You can technically string a couple of these onomatopoeias together, but it's kinda childish and I haven't really seen it in real life outside of people just being silly. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
realmayo 1,824 Report post Posted September 22, 2020 I was referring to the spoken language. All I know is it sounds like a very clear "a" not "en". - but it could be dialect, I dunno. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
xinoxanu 152 Report post Posted September 22, 2020 Me too and I clearly hear something that sounds more like a "angh" other than just "ah". That nasal sound is quite noticeable. Anyway, what I am saying is not gospel and we both might be right. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shelley 1,860 Report post Posted September 22, 2020 Wow, I didn't realise what a can of worms I had opened with such a simple word as 啊 . I definitely hear ah and never heard of en. I will definitely listen more carefully next time I come across it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
xinoxanu 152 Report post Posted September 22, 2020 Mmm I forgot to mention the generation gap and I've noticed that older folks (about +70) will say 哦 to acknowledge what you are saying instead of the other alternatives. Whenever a grandma says that I can't stop feeling she's looking down on me though... but maybe that's because in my native languages that's a rude interjection 😂 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
