Common filler words Ukrainians use in casual speech
Ukrainian Slang: Speak with Style!: Common filler words Ukrainians use in casual speech
Common filler words that Ukrainians often use in casual speech include:
- Ну (nu) — equivalent to “well,” used as a thinking pause or to soften a response.
- Цей / цейво (tsey / tseyvo) — used when the speaker forgets the word, similar to “this” or “um.”
- Так (tak) — means “so” or “well,” used for agreement or to start a new topic.
- Хм… / Гм… / М-м-м… — thinking sounds similar to “hmm.”
- Е-е-е… — a thinking or hesitation sound.
- Розумієш (rozumiyesh) — “you see” or “you understand,” often used to buy time or clarify.
- Коротше (korotshe) — “in short,” used to summarize or proceed.
- Щось таке (shchos take) — “something like that,” used to be vague.
- Типу (typu) — informal filler comparable to “like,” often used among young speakers.
- До речі (do rechі) — “by the way,” used to add a comment.
- Тупо (tupo) / Просто (prosto) — emotional fillers implying “literally” or “just.”
Other casual fillers and slang words often heard are: Ну та (well yeah), Шо ти? (what’s up?), Норм (okay), Пох (whatever), and some borrowed from English such as база (based), бро (bro), сорян (sorry).
These fillers help Ukrainians fill pauses, show hesitation, emphasize points, or keep conversations flowing naturally in informal settings. 1, 2, 3