The filler word "neige"

Sometimes when speaking you may blank out a bit, forget a little word or phrase, and you need something to say while gathering your thoughts. Or maybe you need to stall for a while. Well, the word 那个（nèige) is just what you need.

Basic patterns

In English, words like "uhm" and "er" are used as filler words when you're thinking about what to say. In Chinese, 那个 (nèige) is used for this purpose. This can sound a bit unfortunate to English speakers, but it's very common in Mandarin and you'll hear it quite often around Chinese speakers.

那个 can be inserted into sentences wherever you need to pause for thought. This is similar to the slang use of "like" in English, or filler words in general.

Examples

Some examples:

• 那个，我 不 和 你们 一起 吃饭 了，好 吗？So. . .uhm, I won't eat with you guys, OK?
• 我 想 吃 那个... 那个...湖南 菜。I want to eat that. . .uhm. . .whatchamacallit. . .Hunan cuisine.
• 那个，我明天可能晚点儿到公司。Uhm...I might be a little bit late for work tomorrow.
• 我想看看你刚买的那个···那个···iphone。I‘d like to have a look at ···uhm···your iphone you just bought.
• 那个，我得去机场接我的朋友了。Uhm...I”ve got to go o the airport to pick up my friends.
• 昨天那个···那个···小笼包真好吃。The ···uhm···steamed soup dumplings were so delicious.

Further reading

Needs academic references!