Chinese Filler Words: 嗯, 那个, 然后, 就是, 其实
By Michael McGettrickUpdated 21 October 2026
Spoken Mandarin is held together by a dozen small words that grammar books skip: the sound you make while you think, the word that says "and then", the one that says "actually". None of them changes the facts. Leave them out and your Chinese is correct and oddly stiff, like reading a script aloud.
Quick check
Three quick questions on what you have just read. The full practice is further down.
Pick the right one
0/3The English in brackets says what the speaker means. Tap the word.
，你明天有时间吗？(oh, by the way)
___， nǐ míng tiān yǒu shí jiān ma ？(oh, by the way)
，我不喜欢咖啡。(actually, though you thought I did)
___， wǒ bù xǐ huan kā fēi 。(actually, though you thought I did)
我们先吃饭，去看电影。(and then)
wǒ men xiān chī fàn ，___ qù kàn diàn yǐng 。(and then)
The whole system on one screen
Learn the job first, then the word. Most of these sit at the start of what you say.
| Word | Pinyin | Job |
|---|---|---|
| ǹg | hmm; I'm listening | |
| è | er: stalling | |
| / | zhège / nàge | um: looking for a word |
| zěnme shuō ne | how shall I put it? | |
| ránhòu | and then | |
| / | nà / nàme | so, in that case |
| suǒyǐ | so: the result of a reason | |
| jiùshì | I mean; it's just that | |
| qíshí | actually: the real story | |
| / | búguò / kěshì | but: soft / firmer |
| fǎnzhèng | anyway: it changes nothing | |
| duì le | oh, by the way | |
| nǐ kàn | look; see? | |
| / | ò / āiyā | oh, I see / oh no |
| / | hǎo ba / suàn le | fine / forget it |
The particles at the end of a sentence, (ba), (ne), (a) and (ma), do a different job, and have their own page.
Buying time: 嗯 (ǹg), 呃 (è), 这个 (zhè ge), 那个 (nà ge)
English says um and er. Mandarin says (ǹg), (è), and, above all, (nàge) or (zhège), "that" and "this", said while you look for the word you want. In fast speech they often come out as nèige and zhèige.
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
，。 | Ǹg, wǒ xiǎngxiang. | Hmm, let me think. |
，。 | È, wǒ bù zhīdào. | Er, I don't know. |
……。 | Wǒmen qù nàge... nàge fànguǎn ba. | Let's go to, um, that restaurant. |
……。 | Zhège... wǒ bú tài dǒng. | Well... I don't really get it. |
，，…… | Zěnme shuō ne, tā rén hěn hǎo, kěshì... | How can I put it? He's nice, but... |
(ǹg) also says "uh-huh, I'm listening" while someone else talks: ，，。 (ǹg, ǹg, hǎo), mm, mm, OK. With a rising voice it asks: ？？ (ńg? nǐ shuō shénme?), hm? What did you say?
Keeping a story going: 然后 (rán hòu), 那 (nà), 所以 (suǒ yǐ)
(ránhòu) means "after that". In writing it orders steps; in speech it strings a whole story together, the way English uses "and then... and then...".
，。(Wǒmen xiān chīfàn, ránhòu qù kàn diànyǐng.) - We'll eat first, then see a film.？(Ránhòu ne?) - And then what?
(nà), or the longer (nàme), picks up what the other person just said: "so, in that case".
？。(Nǐ bú qù? Nà wǒ yě bú qù.) - You're not going? Then I'm not either.？(Nà wǒmen qù nǎr?) - So where are we going?
(suǒyǐ) draws a conclusion from something already said, a reason or the other person's words. It needs that something: unlike English so, it cannot open a conversation. ，。 (Wǒ hěn lèi, suǒyǐ bú qù le.) - I'm tired, so I'm not going.
Putting it right: 其实 (qí shí), 就是 (jiù shì), 不过 (bú guò), 反正 (fǎn zhèng)
These four each set what you say against something: what the listener thought, what you just said, or what happens next.
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
，。 | Qíshí, wǒ bù xǐhuan kāfēi. | Actually, I don't like coffee. |
，？ | Nà jiùshì shuō, nǐ bù lái le? | So you mean you're not coming? |
，。 | Zhège fànguǎn hěn hǎo, búguò yǒudiǎn guì. | It's a nice place, but a bit pricey. |
？。 | Nǐ qù bu qù? Fǎnzhèng wǒ qù. | Are you going? I am, anyway. |
(qíshí) sets what you say against what the listener believes or expects: here, that you like coffee. (jiùshì) on its own, trailing off, is how people soften a refusal: ……。 (Jiùshì... wǒ jīntiān méiyǒu shíjiān.) - It's just... I haven't got time today.
Reacting: 哦 (ò), 对 (duì), 好吧 (hǎo ba), 哎呀 (āi yā), 算了 (suàn le)
The small answers you give while someone else is talking.
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
，！ | Ò, shì nǐ a! | Oh, it's you! |
，，。 | Duì, duì, duì. | Yes, right, exactly. |
，。 | Hǎo ba, wǒ qù. | Fine, I'll go. |
，！ | Āiyā, wǒ de shǒujī! | Oh no, my phone! |
，。 | Suàn le, wǒmen míngtiān zài qù. | Forget it, we'll go tomorrow. |
Saying yes comes in strengths. The particle on the end does most of the work:
- 好吧 hǎo ba
- 行 xíng
- 好 hǎo
- 好啊 hǎo a
- 太好了 tài hǎo le
So when a friend says ！ (Wǒmen qù chī jiǎozi ba!), let's go for dumplings!, answer ！ (Hǎo a!) if you mean it. 。 (Hǎo ba.) can sound as if you are only coming to be nice.
Changing the subject: 对了 (duì le), 还有 (hái yǒu), 你看 (nǐ kàn)
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
，？ | Duì le, nǐ míngtiān yǒu shíjiān ma? | Oh, by the way, are you free tomorrow? |
，。 | Hái yǒu, bié gàosu tā. | And another thing: don't tell him. |
，？ | Nǐ kàn, wǒ shuō duì le ba? | See? I was right, wasn't I? |
，。 | Shuō shíhuà, wǒ bù xiǎng qù. | To be honest, I don't want to go. |
(duì le) is the one to own: it says you have just remembered something. The same two characters after a verb mean "right": 。 (Nǐ shuō duì le.) - You're right. Where it sits tells you which.
Mistakes English speakers make
| Wrong | Right | Why |
|---|---|---|
？ (opener) | ？ | (suǒ yǐ) needs something said before it |
。 (back then) | 。 | (rán hòu) is after that, never back then |
。 (to an invite) | ！ | (hǎo ba) can sound reluctant |
。 (in a chat) | ，。 | A lone (ǹg) in a text can read as cold |
What to do next
- Next time you stall in Chinese, say
(nàge) instead of um. - Answer the next invitation with
(hǎo a), not(hǎo ba). - Read the sentence-final particles for
(ba),(ne),(a) and(ma).