hmm

hmm — exclamation

1. A spoken sound used in conversation to show that you are thinking carefully abou

1.感嘆詞A1
釋義

A spoken sound used in conversation to show that you are thinking carefully about something, feeling unsure, or pausing before giving a reply.

例句

Ravi scanned the menu and said, 'Hmm, I cannot pick between pasta and salad.'

hesitation before a decision — common use of 'hmm'

'Hmm, that is a good question,' replied Dr. Okonkwo as she considered the student's idea.

同義詞
  • uh

    a similar hesitation sound, but 'uh' sounds less thoughtful and more like a simple pause

  • well

    used at the start of a sentence to buy time, but 'well' is a real word with its own meaning, not a pure hesitation sound

用法筆記

Hmm has no fixed spelling. Writers also use 'hm', 'hmmm', or 'hmm...' depending on how long the pause sounds. Longer spellings (e.g. 'hmmmm') suggest deeper thought or stronger doubt. This word appears almost exclusively in informal conversation and in written dialogue — avoid it in formal academic or business writing.

常見錯誤

❌Hmm, I am not agree.
✅Hmm, I do not agree.
💡English requires 'do/does' support for negation; 'hmm' does not change sentence grammar.