eh

See also: -eh, .eh, eH, EH, éh, èh, ён, өн, and 태

Contents

EnglishEdit

PronunciationEdit

• (Canada, UK) enPR: ā, IPA^(key): /eɪ/

• (Canadian)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪ
• (UK) IPA^(key): /ɛ/
• (Scotland) IPA^(key): /e/
• Rhymes: -e

Alternative formsEdit

• ay (NZ)

InterjectionEdit

eh

1. (informal, Britain, Australia, Canada, US) Used as a tag question, to emphasise what goes before or to request that the listener express an opinion about what has been said.

   These hot dogs are pretty good, eh?

2. In isolation, a request for repetition or clarification of what has just been said. Compare what, pardon.
3. (Canada) An interjection used to ascertain the continued attention of an individual addressed by the speaker

   I went to the restaurant, eh, but my friends didn't show up.

4. Expressing apathy or lack of enthusiasm; meh.

   - Do you feel like going out tonight?
   - Eh, I don't know.

Usage notesEdit

In North America this term is stereotypically associated with Canada and some uses of it outside of Canada can convey that you are trying to sound (sarcastically) Canadian. However, it is in wide use in many other parts of the world, including the northern United States, Australia, New Zealand, England, Scotland, and South Africa.

TranslationsEdit

used as a tag question

• Czech: hm (cs)
• Dutch: hè (nl)
• Estonian: eh (et)
• Finnish: vai mitä
• French: hein (fr), tu sais, n'est-ce pas (fr)
• German: gell (de), oder (de), ne (de), nicht wahr
• Italian: eh (it)
• Japanese: ね (ja) (ne), だろ (daro)
• Norwegian: eller hva, ikke sant

• Persian: نه؟‏‎ (fa) (na?)
• Polish: hę (pl), nie (pl), co (pl), prawda (pl)
• Portuguese: hein (pt)
• Russian: правда; не так ли (more emphasis)
• Serbo-Croatian: ha? (sh) pl
• Spanish: no (es)
• Swedish: va (sv)
• Tok Pisin: a
• Vietnamese: nhỉ (vi), nhé (vi)

used to mean “What?”

• Catalan: eh
• Dutch: hè (nl)
• Finnish: hä (fi)
• French: hein (fr)
• Icelandic: ha (is)
• Italian: eh (it)

• Japanese: えっ (ja) (e)
• Norwegian: hva (no), hæ (no), hæh
• Persian: ها‏‎ (fa) (hâ)
• Portuguese: hein (pt)
• Russian: м (ru) (m), эм (ru) (em)
• Spanish: qué (es), cómo (es)

(Canadian) an interjection used to ascertain the continued attention

• Dutch: hè (nl)
• French: hein (fr)

• German: ne (de), nicht (de)

AdjectiveEdit

eh

1. (informal, predicative only) Of bad quality; mediocre; unremarkable.

   My French fries were eh.

AnagramsEdit

• H&E, H.E., HE, He, he, he-

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AlbanianEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Proto-Albanian *akˢka, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ- ‘sharp’.

VerbEdit

eh (first-person singular past tense eha, participle ehur)

1. to sharpen, whet, hone metal edge tools

Derived termsEdit

• preh, mpreh, ehull, teh

Related termsEdit

• ath, athët, thua

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FrenchEdit

InterjectionEdit

eh

1. signifying indifference or surprise

AnagramsEdit

• hé

External linksEdit

• “eh” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

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GermanEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Middle High German ē (“earlier, ere”), originally ēr. Modern Standard German uses the lengthened form ehe (only as a conjunction).

PronunciationEdit

• IPA^(key): /ʔeː/

ConjunctionEdit

eh

1. (colloquial) before

   Lass uns gehn, eh wir den Bus verpassen!

   Let's go before we miss the bus!

AdverbEdit

eh

1. (colloquial) anyway

   Wozu soll ich mich anstrengen? Ich kann's eh nicht.

   Why should I make an effort? I can't do it anyway.

2. (colloquial, Austria) well, admittedly (for which in Germany only schon is used)

   Ich hab eh drüber nachgedacht, aber es wär nicht gegangen.

   I did well consider it, but it wouldn't have worked out.

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HungarianEdit

InterjectionEdit

eh

1. (indicates indifference, usually used as a reply alone) meh
2. (indicates an obvious mistake) oh, no

Related termsEdit

• ej

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ManxEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Old Irish é (“he, they”), from Proto-Indo-European *éy.

PronounEdit

eh (emphatic eshyn)

1. he, him
   • Cha vel breagerey dy ve credjit ga dy vel eh ginsh yn irriney. A liar is not to be believed even if he tells the truth.
   • Cur meer da'n feeagh as hig eh reesht. Give the raven a bit and he'll come again.
   • Cur lhiat magh eh. Bring him out.
2. it
   • Skeeal eddyr troor, t'eh ersooyl. A story between three, it's gone.

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NauruanEdit

ParticleEdit

eh

1. yes

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NorwegianEdit

InterjectionEdit

eh

1. uh

SynonymsEdit

• øh

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PohnpeianEdit

Etymology 1Edit

NounEdit

eh

1. The name of the Latin-script letter E/e.

Etymology 2Edit

Alternative formsEdit

• e
• ah

DeterminerEdit

eh

1. his, her, hers, its, third person possessive pronoun

   Liho iang eh pwoud.

   The woman joined her husband.

Etymology 3Edit

NounEdit

eh

1. liver

Etymology 4Edit

InterjectionEdit

eh

1. a particle used after names of people when calling them

Etymology 5Edit

InterjectionEdit

eh

1. an interjection signifying understanding
2. a response used when answering a call in a feast

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PortugueseEdit

VerbEdit

eh

1. (Internet slang, text messaging) Alternative form of é (“is”)

InterjectionEdit

eh

1. (Internet slang, text messaging) Alternative form of é (“yeah”)

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SpanishEdit

PronunciationEdit

• IPA^(key): /e/
• Homophones: e, he

InterjectionEdit

eh

1. hey! (used to call, draw attention, warn or reprehend)
2. uh, um (space filler in a conversation, expression of hesitation or pause in speech)

SynonymsEdit

• (space filler in a conversation): este

Related termsEdit

• ah
• oh