Rough but closest English counter would be phrases: "like so" / "like that" / "in such way". In English those phrases express similar things. In Slovene we have one phrase that covers those called "tako": Točno tako = Exactly in such way Tako tako = Like so - like so , Such - such or in short so - so Tako je naredil igračo = He made toy in such way It can be word that doesn't add technical (it adds emotional) value to information, but it can also add a crucial information. But to easen things up: No it's not filter word. It has meaning. If not technical informational, it has emotional-informational. Additional example: Person1: Moj sin je uspešno opravil prvi razred. (My son successfully completed / passes first grade year) Person2: A tako? (meaning: "is that (that=event we are talking about) in such way? " or in short version: "is that so?". When used it like that it is commonly used as not needed rhetorical question used to show Person 1 that you do understand and you are interested in his sayings. )

http://bos.zrc-sazu.si/cgi/a03.exe?name=sskj_testa&expression=tako&hs=1 its not so easy...

in sskj (slovar slovenskega knjižnega jezika) you find the meaning of slovenian words. http://bos.zrc-sazu.si/sskj.html