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嗯

en
HSK 2.0 Level 6 Very common

Select an entry

This word has multiple dictionary entries. Choose the reading or usage you want to review.

嗯
ǹg Interjection used to express agreement or acknowledgment; used to express hesitation
嗯
en interjection indicating approval, appreciation or agreement
嗯
èn (nonverbal grunt as interjection); OK, yeah
嗯
ēn (a groaning sound)

Definitions

  1. 1. interjection indicating approval, appreciation or agreement

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Character focus

Stroke order

13 strokes

Word relationships

Antonyms

1 item
不
bù

no; not so

嗯 is agreement; 不 is negation.

Register variants

1 item
是
shì

to be (followed by substantives only)

嗯 is informal; 是 is a formal way to confirm or agree.

Related words

1 item
哦
ò

oh (interjection indicating that one has just learned sth)

Both are interjections: 嗯 for agreement, 哦 for acknowledgment or understanding.

Usage notes

Common mistakes

Overusing 嗯 may sound dismissive; in polite conversation, add a response like 好的 or 知道了 after acknowledging.

Formality

嗯 is casual and used in spoken or informal written Chinese (like texting); avoid in formal contexts.

Example Sentences

2 shown
嗯 ，我明白了。
Mm, I understand.
嗯 。
Source: Tatoeba.org (ID 10624583)

Sentence data courtesy of Tatoeba.org. AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Words Containing 嗯

嗯哼
en hēng

uh-huh