Neymar
Meh, Hmm, Hmmmm, Hm!, Ummm/um, Huh?, Aww!, Eh?, Eww, Oops, Phew, Hmph, Brr, Ouch!
Could native English speakers tell me, do you use these shorthands for both texting and speaking?


May 29, 2020 5:14 PM
Comments · 6
1
Hi, Lisa Dukes. Thanks, İ'm not going to write a story or a cartoon.
May 29, 2020
1
Are you going to write a story or a cartoon? These all work well for that kind of situation. We don’t text these but do use them as a part of conversation. They represent sounds that we make and are not shorthand. I’ve heard people from other countries use them too with the exception of ouch.
May 29, 2020
Hmmm... Yes, I definitely use that one when I write (or text) and when I speak. I don't think I have ever written "Hm!" with an exclamation point (with the exception of this sentence), though I've probably used it while speaking with an exclamatory feeling before.

When speaking, I usually say "ow!" instead of "ouch" if I get hurt, like stubbing my toe. If someone insults me or makes a rude comment, I might say "ouch," but this response is often used sarcastically in this case.

Personally, I don't use "phew." Except for the previous sentence, I don't remember the last time I used it.

I'm prone to getting cold, so I say "brr" sometimes, but I don't type it much.

All of the other interjections you've listed I've used while speaking, and some I've used while texting.
June 3, 2020
I've used most of those in everyday speech and a few of them when texting (and writing emails). There are probably even a few old italki forum posts where I wrote "Meh." Meh, oops, and eww are the three I've used in writing.

I write "whew" instead of "phew," and I've also written "whoo-hoo!" as a happy, celebration kind of sound. For example: No parrot bites for me today, whoo-hoo!
June 3, 2020
Yes. (haha)

Interjections, or more accurately, some of these are really "fillers/redundancies/hedges".

I have used every single one of these in normal everyday speech, on formal occasions, and in written speech including texting, and when writing dialogue for characters in formal writing.

Meh - a sound accompanied by shrugging the shoulders
Hmm - "I am thinking about the correct response or my opinion"
Hmmmm - "You have left me confused or thinking very hard to give you an answer"
Hm! - I am either surprised (if the tone goes from high to low) or angry (another way of writing Hmph!)
Ummm/um - I am giving myself time to think of what to say because ummmmmmmm I can't think of the next word
Huh? - "What did you just say?" or "I can't believe you just said that, so I am going to make you repeat it."
Aww! - "That's cute!" (ends high tone) or "I'm dissapointed" (ends low tone)
Eh? - (ey) "Really?" (I associate this with british speakers, not americans)
(ehh) Synonym of "Uhg."
Eww - Yuck/gross/"I find this physically or intellectually disgusting"
Oops - "I made a mistake" or "Sorry for bumping into you"
Phew - "I dodged a bullet" (while wiping forehead)
Hmph - "I disagree with your response."
Brr - "I am cold" (holding arms over front, shivering)
Ouch! - "I just hurt myself" or "What you said is mean, i.e. you hurt me" or "I just saw someone hurt themselves and I am commenting on it for them"

Lol I like translating these, someone get me a job just translating interjections.
June 3, 2020
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