Have you ever been talking to a Chinese person, understood exactly what they asked, and then completely frozen?
Your brain knows the answer. You know the vocabulary. You know the grammar. But for some reason, nothing comes out.
I used to do this all the time when I first started learning Mandarin. I would understand the question, but while I searched for the right words, the silence made me feel as though I had to answer immediately.
Then I began noticing the small expressions Chinese speakers use while thinking, reacting and keeping a conversation moving:
那个……
Nèige…
Um… / Well…
嗯……
En…
Hmm… / Um…
让我想想……
Ràng wǒ xiǎngxiang…
Let me think…
These expressions do not replace vocabulary or grammar. They simply give you a little breathing room and help your speech sound less rehearsed.
In this guide, you will learn 70 useful Mandarin filler words, response markers, softeners and conversation-management phrases. Not every item is technically a “filler word,” but every one can help you respond more naturally and keep a real conversation going.
Why Mandarin Filler Words Matter
Real conversations are not grammar exercises. People pause, reconsider, react, clarify and change direction while they speak.
Learning a few natural Mandarin expressions can help you do three things.
Give Yourself Time to Think
Instead of freezing, you can say:
让我想想。
Ràng wǒ xiǎngxiang.
Let me think.
That short phrase gives you a few extra seconds to organise your answer.
Show That You Are Listening
You do not need to remain silent while the other person speaks. Expressions such as 嗯嗯 (en en, “mm-hmm”) and 对 (duì, “right”) show that you are following the conversation.
Make Your Answers Sound Less Abrupt
Compare these two responses:
不好。
Bù hǎo.
It is not good.
嗯……我觉得不太好。
En… wǒ juéde bú tài hǎo.
Hmm… I do not think it is very good.
The second answer is softer and gives the listener more context.
Two Pronunciation Notes Before You Begin
那个: Nàge or Nèige?
The dictionary form of 那个 is usually written nàge, meaning “that one.” In casual speech—especially in northern Mandarin—you will often hear nèige. It can work as a placeholder while the speaker searches for a word, much like “um” or “you know” in English.
那个，我觉得……
Nèige, wǒ juéde…
Well, I think…
To English-speaking ears, nèige can resemble an offensive English word. The Mandarin expression has no connection to that word; it is simply an ordinary demonstrative being used as a hesitation marker.
嗯 Has More Than One Written Pinyin Form
You may see 嗯 written as en, ēn, èn, ń or ńg in different dictionaries and learning materials. That variation exists because 嗯 represents a vocal sound whose pitch and meaning change with the speaker’s intonation.
For beginners, the most useful approach is to treat it as a short “mm,” “hmm” or “uh” sound and copy the pronunciation you hear from a native speaker.
1. Basic Hesitation and Filler Words
These are the closest Mandarin equivalents to “um,” “uh,” “well” and “you know.”
- 嗯…… (En / ńg…) — Um… / Hmm…
- 呃…… (È…) — Uh… / Er…
- 那个…… (Nèige / nàge…) — Um… / Well… / That…
- 这个…… (Zhège / zhèige…) — This… / Um…
- 就是…… (Jiùshì…) — I mean… / It is just that…
- 然后…… (Ránhòu…) — And then… / And, um…
- 怎么说呢…… (Zěnme shuō ne…) — How should I put it…?
Example:
那个……怎么说呢……我觉得还不错。
Nèige… zěnme shuō ne… wǒ juéde hái búcuò.
Well… how should I put it… I think it is pretty good.
Use these lightly. One or two natural pauses can make your speech flow better, but repeating a filler every few words can make you sound uncertain.
2. Phrases That Give You Time to Think
These are useful when you need more than a one-second pause.
- 让我想想。 (Ràng wǒ xiǎngxiang.) — Let me think.
- 我想一下。 (Wǒ xiǎng yíxià.) — Let me think for a moment.
- 我得想想。 (Wǒ děi xiǎngxiang.) — I need to think.
- 我想想看。 (Wǒ xiǎngxiang kàn.) — Let me see / Let me think.
- 我考虑一下。 (Wǒ kǎolǜ yíxià.) — I will think it over.
- 等一下。 (Děng yíxià.) — Wait a moment.
- 稍等一下。 (Shāo děng yíxià.) — Just a moment, please.
让我想想 is friendly and natural in everyday conversation. 我考虑一下 sounds more deliberate and is useful when considering a decision or proposal. 稍等一下 is slightly more polite and is common in customer-service and workplace situations.
3. Showing That You Understand
These short responses show that you are listening and following what the other person is saying.
- 嗯嗯。 (En en.) — Mm-hmm.
- 对。 (Duì.) — Right. / Yes.
- 对对对。 (Duì, duì, duì.) — Right, right, right.
- 好的。 (Hǎo de.) — Okay. / All right.
- 明白了。 (Míngbai le.) — I understand. / Got it.
- 知道了。 (Zhīdào le.) — Got it. / I know now.
- 原来如此。 (Yuánlái rúcǐ.) — Ah, I see. / So that is how it is.
Intonation matters. 知道了 can sound neutral and helpful, but a sharp or impatient tone may make it sound like “I know already.” 明白了 is often the safer choice when you want to show that an explanation is now clear.
4. Showing Interest and Reacting Naturally
These responses encourage the other person to continue.
- 真的吗？ (Zhēn de ma?) — Really?
- 是吗？ (Shì ma?) — Is that so? / Really?
- 不会吧？ (Bú huì ba?) — No way! / Really?
- 真的假的？ (Zhēn de jiǎ de?) — Seriously? / Is that true?
- 然后呢？ (Ránhòu ne?) — And then what happened?
- 有意思。 (Yǒu yìsi.) — Interesting.
- 原来是这样。 (Yuánlái shì zhèyàng.) — Oh, so that is how it is.
不会吧 and 真的假的 express stronger surprise than 是吗. They are common with friends, but may sound too casual in a formal conversation.
5. Expressing Uncertainty
You do not always need to give a definite answer. These phrases let you be honest without stopping the conversation.
- 我不太确定。 (Wǒ bú tài quèdìng.) — I am not completely sure.
- 可能吧。 (Kěnéng ba.) — Maybe. / Probably.
- 应该是吧。 (Yīnggāi shì ba.) — I think so. / It probably is.
- 不一定。 (Bù yídìng.) — Not necessarily.
- 说不定。 (Shuōbudìng.) — Maybe. / You never know.
- 好像…… (Hǎoxiàng…) — It seems… / Apparently…
- 难说。 (Nán shuō.) — It is hard to say.
可能吧 suggests that something may be true. 不一定 pushes back against a definite claim. 说不定 often introduces a possibility the listener may not have considered.
6. Softening an Opinion
Mandarin speakers often introduce an opinion before stating it directly. These phrases can make disagreement and criticism sound less abrupt.
- 我觉得…… (Wǒ juéde…) — I think… / I feel…
- 我认为…… (Wǒ rènwéi…) — I believe… / In my opinion…
- 也许…… (Yěxǔ…) — Perhaps… / Maybe…
- 大概…… (Dàgài…) — Probably… / Roughly…
- 对我来说…… (Duì wǒ lái shuō…) — For me…
- 在我看来…… (Zài wǒ kànlái…) — In my view…
- 我个人觉得…… (Wǒ gèrén juéde…) — Personally, I think…
我觉得 is extremely common in everyday speech. 我认为 and 在我看来 can sound slightly more formal or deliberate.
Example:
我个人觉得这个办法不太合适。
Wǒ gèrén juéde zhège bànfǎ bú tài héshì.
Personally, I do not think this method is very suitable.
7. Checking and Rephrasing What You Heard
Repeating or rephrasing part of a message gives you thinking time and helps prevent misunderstandings.
- 你是说…… (Nǐ shì shuō…) — You mean…?
- 你的意思是…… (Nǐ de yìsi shì…) — What you mean is…?
- 也就是说…… (Yě jiùshì shuō…) — In other words… / So you mean…
- 如果我没理解错的话…… (Rúguǒ wǒ méi lǐjiě cuò de huà…) — If I understood correctly…
- 你指的是…… (Nǐ zhǐ de shì…) — You are referring to…?
- 换句话说…… (Huàn jù huà shuō…) — To put it another way…
- 对吧？ (Duì ba?) — Right? / Is that correct?
你是说 and 你的意思是 check another person’s meaning. 换句话说 is normally used when you rephrase an idea in different words.
8. Asking for Clarification
These phrases are useful at every level of Mandarin. Asking for help is better than pretending you understood.
- 你能再说一遍吗？ (Nǐ néng zài shuō yí biàn ma?) — Can you say that again?
- 能说慢一点吗？ (Néng shuō màn yìdiǎn ma?) — Can you speak a little more slowly?
- 什么意思？ (Shénme yìsi?) — What does that mean?
- 可以解释一下吗？ (Kěyǐ jiěshì yíxià ma?) — Can you explain it?
- 我没听清楚。 (Wǒ méi tīng qīngchu.) — I did not hear clearly.
- 我没听懂。 (Wǒ méi tīng dǒng.) — I did not understand what I heard.
- 你能举个例子吗？ (Nǐ néng jǔ ge lìzi ma?) — Can you give an example?
There is an important difference between numbers 54 and 55. 我没听清楚 means the sound was unclear or you missed the words. 我没听懂 means you heard the words but did not understand their meaning.
9. Moving the Conversation Forward
These expressions help you introduce another point, return to the subject or bring a long explanation to a close.
- 对了…… (Duì le…) — By the way… / Oh, that reminds me…
- 顺便说一下…… (Shùnbiàn shuō yíxià…) — By the way… / Incidentally…
- 其实…… (Qíshí…) — Actually… / In fact…
- 反正…… (Fǎnzhèng…) — Anyway… / In any case…
- 总之…… (Zǒngzhī…) — In short… / All in all…
- 另外…… (Lìngwài…) — In addition… / Another thing…
- 话说回来…… (Huà shuō huílái…) — Coming back to the point… / That said…
Be careful with 反正. It is very common, but in the wrong tone it can sound dismissive, like “whatever happens” or “anyway, I do not care.”
10. Agreeing, Disagreeing and Giving a Flexible Answer
These phrases help you respond without turning every conversation into a blunt yes-or-no exchange.
- 没错。 (Méi cuò.) — Exactly. / That is right.
- 有道理。 (Yǒu dàolǐ.) — That makes sense.
- 也是。 (Yě shì.) — That is true. / Fair point.
- 差不多。 (Chàbuduō.) — More or less. / Pretty much.
- 看情况。 (Kàn qíngkuàng.) — It depends on the situation.
- 我同意。 (Wǒ tóngyì.) — I agree.
- 我不太同意。 (Wǒ bú tài tóngyì.) — I do not entirely agree.
Using 不太 makes number 70 softer than a blunt 我不同意 (wǒ bù tóngyì, “I disagree”).
A Complete Example Conversation
Here is how several of these expressions can work together naturally:
A: 你觉得这个计划怎么样？
Nǐ juéde zhège jìhuà zěnmeyàng?
What do you think of this plan?
B: 嗯……让我想想。你是说我们下个月开始，对吧？
En… ràng wǒ xiǎngxiang. Nǐ shì shuō wǒmen xià ge yuè kāishǐ, duì ba?
Hmm… let me think. You mean we start next month, right?
A: 对，下个月开始。
Duì, xià ge yuè kāishǐ.
Yes, we start next month.
B: 明白了。我个人觉得时间有点紧，不过可以考虑一下。
Míngbai le. Wǒ gèrén juéde shíjiān yǒudiǎn jǐn, búguò kěyǐ kǎolǜ yíxià.
Got it. Personally, I think the timing is a little tight, but we can consider it.
The response is not complicated, but the small phrases make it sound thoughtful and conversational.
The 10 Phrases to Learn First
Seventy expressions may feel overwhelming. Begin with these ten:
- 那个…… (nèige…) — Um… / Well…
- 嗯…… (en…) — Hmm… / Um…
- 让我想想。 (ràng wǒ xiǎngxiang.) — Let me think.
- 怎么说呢…… (zěnme shuō ne…) — How should I put it…?
- 我觉得…… (wǒ juéde…) — I think…
- 对对对。 (duì, duì, duì.) — Right, right, right.
- 是吗？ (shì ma?) — Really? / Is that so?
- 你是说…… (nǐ shì shuō…) — You mean…?
- 我没听懂。 (wǒ méi tīng dǒng.) — I did not understand.
- 有道理。 (yǒu dàolǐ.) — That makes sense.
Practise these until they come out automatically, then gradually add more.
How to Practise Without Sounding Forced
Do not try to insert five filler words into every sentence. That will not make you sound more fluent.
Choose three expressions and listen for them in real conversations. Notice where the speaker pauses, how long they stretch the sound and what emotion their voice communicates.
Then use each expression in one short sentence of your own. For example:
嗯……我不太确定。
En… wǒ bú tài quèdìng.
Hmm… I am not completely sure.
那个……你能再说一遍吗？
Nèige… nǐ néng zài shuō yí biàn ma?
Um… can you say that again?
怎么说呢……我个人觉得不太合适。
Zěnme shuō ne… wǒ gèrén juéde bú tài héshì.
How should I put it… personally, I do not think it is very suitable.
Record yourself, compare your rhythm with native audio and repeat the sentence until it feels comfortable.
Final Thoughts
The difference between textbook Mandarin and comfortable conversation is not only grammar or vocabulary. It is also knowing how to pause, react, soften an opinion and ask for clarification.
Do not try to memorise all 70 expressions at once. Choose five and use them this week. Add another five once the first group begins to feel automatic.
The goal is not to fill every silence. The goal is to stay engaged while you find the words you genuinely want to say.
加油！
Jiāyóu!
Keep going!
Practise With Real Mandarin Audio
Reading these phrases is a useful start, but you also need to hear their rhythm and intonation.
Rocket Chinese includes words and phrases recorded by Chinese speakers, pronunciation checking and activities that let you practise both sides of common conversations. Those features can help you move from recognising a phrase to actually saying it aloud.
You can read my Rocket Chinese Review 2026 for a detailed look at the course and whether it suits your learning style.
Affiliate disclosure: If you buy through my Rocket Languages link, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend resources I believe can genuinely help Mandarin learners.
