In conversation, you may find yourself at a loss for words, unable to find the correct phrase you are looking for, or simply needing time to gather your thoughts. When you experience this feeling, in English, you may say "umm" or "uhhh" or another filler word. In Chinese, the word for this is 那个 (nèige). (The word 那个 can be pronounced both "nàge" and "nèige," but for this usage, "nèige" is normally used.)

Structure

In English, words like "ummm" and "uh" are used as filler¹ words when you're thinking about what to say. In Chinese, 那个 (nèige) is also used for this purpose. To English speakers not fortunate enough to be fluent in Mandarin this may raise an eyebrow because it can sound a bit "racist," but it's very common in Mandarin and you'll hear it quite often around Chinese speakers.

那个 (nèige) can be inserted into sentences wherever you need to pause for thought.

Examples

那个 ⋯⋯ 我不跟你们一起去了，可以吗？Nèige... wǒ bù gēn nǐmen yīqǐ qù le, kěyǐ ma? So, ummm... I won't go with you guys, OK?
我想吃那个 ⋯⋯ 那个 ⋯⋯ 湖南菜。Wǒ xiǎng chī nèige... nèige... Húnán cài.I want to eat that... ummm, you know... Hunan cuisine.
那个 ⋯⋯ 我明天不来了。Nèige... wǒ míngtiān bù lái le.Ummm... I'm not coming tomorrow.
那个 ⋯⋯ 这样做不好吧？Nèige... zhèyàng zuò bù hǎo ba?Ummm, it's not good to do it this way?
那个 ⋯⋯ 你可以做我的女朋友吗？Nèige... nǐ kěyǐ zuò wǒ de nǚpéngyou ma?Like... could you be my girlfriend?
那个 ⋯⋯ 不好意思，我要走了。Nèige... bù hǎoyìsi, wǒ yào zǒu le.Ummmm... sorry, but I've gotta go.
她很漂亮，就像那个 ⋯⋯ 明星一样。Tā hěn piàoliang, jiù xiàng nèige... míngxīng yīyàng.She's very pretty, just like, you know, a celebrity.
我想看看你买的那个 ⋯⋯ 那个 ⋯⋯ iPhone。Wǒ xiǎng kànkan nǐ mǎi de nèige... nèige... iPhone.I'd like to take a look at your, ummm, you know... iPhone you bought.
那个 ⋯⋯ 我要去开会了。Nèige... wǒ yào qù kāihuì le.Ummm... I have to attend a meeting.
昨天那个 ⋯⋯ 那个 ⋯⋯ 小笼包真好吃。Zuótiān nèige... nèige... xiǎolóngbāo zhēn hǎochī.Yesterday the, you know, steamed soup dumplings were so delicious.

Structure

Examples

References

Sources and further reading