Chinese Conversation · Level 4
88 words
Chinese word
嗯嗯
Pronunciation
Pinyinǹ ǹ
Meaning
- interjectionmm-hmm
Example
听他讲故事时，我一直嗯嗯。tīng tā jiǎng gù shì shí wǒ yì zhí ǹ ǹ
While listening to him tell stories, I kept saying, "Mm-hmm."
More examples
他说完观点后，大家都应声嗯嗯。tā shuō wán guān diǎn hòu dà jiā dōu yīng shēng ǹ ǹ
After he finished expressing his opinion, everyone responded, "Mm-hmm."
Core concept
A small vocal nod that shows attention, agreement, or encouragement while another person speaks.
Common phrases
点头嗯嗯diǎn tóu ǹ ǹ
nod with a mm-hmm
应声嗯嗯yīng shēng ǹ ǹ
answer with mm-hmm
轻声嗯嗯qīng shēng ǹ ǹ
quietly say mm-hmm
Similar words
嗯ǹ: A short sound used to show that the speaker is following what is being said.
呃è: A short sound expressing hesitation while forming a thought.
哦ó: A short sound showing sudden awareness of what someone has said.
Definition in Chinese
用来表示对方话已听到、同意或正在关注的短促应答声，通常在对话中连说“嗯嗯”表示持续响应或鼓励对方继续说。yòng lái biǎo shì duì fāng huà yǐ tīng dào tóng yì huò zhèng zài guān zhù de duǎn cù yìng dá shēng tōng cháng zài duì huà zhōng lián shuō ǹ ǹ biǎo shì chí xù xiǎng yìng huò gǔ lì duì fāng jì xù shuō
Word origin
The form 嗯嗯 (ńń, "mm-hmm") doubles a natural vocal response to mark sustained acknowledgment instead of a single completed reply.
Usage tips
- This response is useful while someone is telling a story because it shows that the listener is following along without taking the speaking turn.
Other meanings
- yesinterjection