eh

See also EH, eH, .eh, éh, èh, and -eh

English

Wikipedia

Pronunciation

• (Canada, UK) enPR: ā, IPA: /eɪ/, X-SAMPA: /eI/

• (Canadian)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪ
• (Scotland) IPA: /e/, X-SAMPA: /e/
• Rhymes: -e

Alternative forms

• ay (NZ)

Interjection

eh

1. 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

   So we're out of beer, eh, we better get more then.

Usage notes

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.

Translations

used as a tag question

• Czech: hm (cs)
• Dutch: hè (nl)
• Estonian: eh (et)
• Finnish: vai mitä (fi)
• French: hein (fr), tu sais, n'est ce pas (fr)
• German: gell (de), oder (de), ne (de), nicht wahr (de)
• Japanese: ね (ja) (ne), だろ (ja) (daro)
• Norwegian: eller hva (no), ikke sant (no)

• Persian: نه؟ (fa) (na?)
• Russian: правда; не так ли (more emphasis)
• Serbo-Croatian: jelde? (sh) pl
• Spanish: no (es)
• Swedish: va (sv)
• Tok Pisin: a (tpi)
• Vietnamese: nhỉ (vi), nhé (vi)

used to mean “What?”

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

• Norwegian: hva (no), hæ (no), hæh (no)
• Persian: ها (fa) (hâ)
• 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)

Adjective

eh (comparative more eh, superlative most eh)

1. (informal) Of bad quality.

   My French fries were eh.

Anagrams

• he, He, HE, H.E.

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Albanian

Etymology

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

Verb

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

1. to sharpen, whet, hone metal edge tools

Derived terms

• preh, mpreh, ehull, teh

Related terms

• ath, athët, thua

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French

Interjection

eh

1. signifying indifference or surprise

Anagrams

• hé

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German

Etymology

From Bavarian, from Middle High German er (“earlier, ere”).

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ʔeː/

Adverb

eh

1. (colloquial) anyway

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Hungarian

Interjection

eh

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

Related terms

• ej

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Manx

Etymology

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

Pronoun

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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Norwegian

Interjection

eh

1. uh

Synonyms

• øh

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Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA: /e/
• Homophones: e, he

Interjection

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)

Synonyms

• (space filler in a conversation): este

Related terms

• ah
• oh