Spoken Fillers (nagu, noh, mingi)
Spoken Fillers
Ta oli nagu väsinud means He was kind of tired. Ootasin mingi pool tundi means I waited like half an hour.
How It Works
- nagu normally means like or as (nagu ema). In casual speech it also softens a statement: Ta oli nagu väsinud. (He was kind of tired.) Ma nagu ei tea.
- noh and the shorter no mean well. They start a turn (Noh, kuidas läheb?), show impatience (No tule siis!) or fill a pause: Laena mulle, noh, ütleme kümme eurot. A lone Noh? means Well? Go on.
- mingi is a normal pronoun meaning some or some kind of, and it declines: mingit, mingil. In casual speech it also means about before a number (mingi pool tundi) or sounds dismissive: mingi film.
Other common fillers are tähendab (I mean), ütleme (let's say), eks and okei. Understanding them helps with listening. In essays, formal emails and official letters, leave them out.
Examples (6)
- Ta oli nagu väsinud.
He was kind of tired.
Word by Word: he was like tired
- No mis siis?
Well, so what?
Word by Word: well what then
- Noh, kuidas sul läheb?
Well, how are you doing?
Word by Word: well how at-you goes
- Ootasin mingi pool tundi.
I waited like half an hour.
Word by Word: waited-I some half hour-PART
mingi before a number means about.
- Mingi mees helistas sulle.
Some guy called you.
Word by Word: some man called to-you
- Laena mulle, noh, ütleme kümme eurot.
Lend me, well, let's say ten euros.
Word by Word: lend to-me well let's-say ten euro-PART
Common Mistakes
Using fillers in a formal email.
Tere! Mul on nagu küsimus teie kursuse kohta.Tere! Mul on küsimus teie kursuse kohta.nagu as a filler belongs to casual speech. In formal writing it sounds unsure and sloppy.
Not declining mingi in its normal meaning.
Ma ei näinud mingi probleemi.Ma ei näinud mingit probleemi.As a pronoun, mingi takes the case of its noun. After a negative, that is the partitive mingit.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Fillers belong to spoken Estonian.
Related Patterns
- naguLike and as (Nagu)
The standard meaning of nagu: like or as.
Level 3 - Tag Questions (eks, vä)
More small words typical of speech.
Level 3 - Everyday Slang
Informal vocabulary that often comes with fillers.
Level 5 - Everyday Spoken Shortcuts
Other features of everyday speech.
Level 4 - ju / küll / vist / ometiParticles Ju, Küll, Vist, Ometi
Particles that add attitude in both speech and writing.
Level 3
Words in This Pattern
Practice Spoken Fillers (nagu, noh, mingi) in Bubblegum
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