(ǹg) - hmm, uh-huh (affirmation) in Mandarin

ǹg

Traditional: 嗯

HSK 4

#124 of 5,000 Core 1000

Translation

hmm, uh-huh (affirmation)

Word origin

嗯 (ǹg) is an interjection of assent ('mm, uh-huh'), a phono-semantic compound of the 口 (mouth) radical, marking a vocal sound, plus 恩 (ēn) as the phonetic.

Origin: phono-semantic compound
Root: 口 (mouth, meaning) + 恩 (ēn, phonetic)

Stroke order

嗯

Examples

，。

Hmm, I understand.

，。

Uh-huh, okay.

？？

Hmm? What did you say?

，。

Hmm, let me think.

，。

Mm, I agree.

嗯 (ǹg) means hmm, uh-huh (affirmation). It is used as a interjection in everyday Mandarin speech.

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Used in

Grammar articles

(1)

Mandarin Advanced Grammar (C1-C2 / HSK 6+): Chengyu, Classical Remnants, and Register

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嗯: worksheet, infographic and listicle

Free printable study downloads for the Mandarin word "嗯" (hmm, uh-huh (affirmation)): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.

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This word is part of lesson 3.