Mm-Hmm in Different Languages
Discover 'Mm-hmm' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'mm-hmm' is a simple yet powerful expression of agreement, used in conversations around the world. It's a versatile term that can indicate understanding, confirmation, or even serve as a prompt for the speaker to continue. Although it's often associated with American English, its usage transcends geographical and cultural boundaries.
Understanding the translation of 'mm-hmm' in different languages can enrich your communication skills and cultural awareness. For instance, in Spanish, 'mm-hmm' can be translated as 'sí' or 'claro', while in French, it becomes 'oui' or 'mmhmm'. In Mandarin Chinese, the equivalent is '是的' (shì de), and in Japanese, it's 'はい' (hai).
Delving into the translations of 'mm-hmm' not only reveals its cultural importance but also uncovers fascinating historical contexts. For example, in African American Vernacular English, 'mm-hmm' has been used for generations as a form of non-verbal agreement and affirmation.
Stay tuned for a comprehensive list of 'mm-hmm' translations in various languages, providing you with a global perspective on this intriguing word.
Mm-hmm
Mm-Hmm in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | mm-hmm | ||
| In Afrikaans, "mm-hmm" can also be used to express agreement or understanding, in place of "ja" (yes). | |||
| Amharic | ሚሜ-እምም | ||
| The word 'ሚሜ-እምም' is a loanword from English and has the same meaning as the English word. | |||
| Hausa | mm-hmm | ||
| "Mm-hmm" is a term used in Hausa to indicate agreement or understanding. It is also used as an interjection to express surprise or disbelief. | |||
| Igbo | mm-hmm | ||
| The Igbo phrase "mm-hmm" is used as a conversational marker that signals a listener is following along, has heard, or understands. | |||
| Malagasy | mm-hmm | ||
| In the context of Malagasy discourse, "MM-Hmm" can indicate understanding, acceptance, or agreement, depending on the situation. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mamilimita-hmm | ||
| The word "mamilimita-hmm" derives from the Yao word "maremuramu" meaning "small, sweet berry". | |||
| Shona | mm-hmm | ||
| In Shona, "mm-hmm" can also mean 'yes', 'I understand', or an expression of acknowledgement. | |||
| Somali | mm-hmm | ||
| The Somali word "mm-hmm" is derived from the English phrase "mm-hmm" and has the same meaning. | |||
| Sesotho | mm-hmm | ||
| The word "mm-hmm" is an onomatopoeia for a sound of agreement, and is used in many languages, including Sesotho. | |||
| Swahili | mm-hmm | ||
| In Swahili, "mm-hmm" means "mm-hmm" or "yes". "Mmm" and "hmmm" are both words common to multiple languages that indicate affirmation. | |||
| Xhosa | mm-hmm | ||
| Mm-hmm is thought to derive from an African language such as Xhosa, where it is used for emphasis. | |||
| Yoruba | mm-hmm | ||
| In Yoruba, "mm-hmm" can be translated as "ee-hen," which signifies agreement or understanding. | |||
| Zulu | mm-hmm | ||
| The word "mm-hmm" in Zulu has no direct translation, but is instead represented by the phrase "uhuh". | |||
| Bambara | mm-hmm ye | ||
| Ewe | mm-hmm | ||
| Kinyarwanda | mm-hmm | ||
| Lingala | mm-hmm | ||
| Luganda | mm-hmm | ||
| Sepedi | mm-hmm | ||
| Twi (Akan) | mm-hmm na ɛwɔ hɔ | ||
Mm-Hmm in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | مم همم | ||
| "مم همم" originated as an interjection representing agreement, affirmation, or listening | |||
| Hebrew | ממ-הממ | ||
| The word ממ-הממ (mm-hmm) is derived from the Hebrew word "hmmm," which means "yes" or "I understand." | |||
| Pashto | ملي متر | ||
| The word "ملي متر" in Pashto is derived from the Persian words "ملی" (meaning "thousandth") and "متر" (meaning "meter"), and refers to the metric unit of length equal to one thousandth of a meter. | |||
| Arabic | مم همم | ||
| "مم همم" originated as an interjection representing agreement, affirmation, or listening | |||
Mm-Hmm in Western European Languages
| Albanian | mm-hmm | ||
| The Albanian word "mm-hmm" has no etymology or alternate meanings in English and only signifies an affirmative response in both Albanian and English. | |||
| Basque | mm-hmm | ||
| The word "mm-hmm" in Basque is an interjection expressing agreement or understanding. | |||
| Catalan | mm-hmm | ||
| Croatian | mm-hmm | ||
| The Croatian word "hm" is an interjection that can mean "yes" or "I understand." | |||
| Danish | mm-hmm | ||
| The Danish phrase "mm-hmm" is an interjection expressing agreement or understanding, and corresponds to the English "yes" or "I agree". | |||
| Dutch | mm-hmm | ||
| The word "mm-hmm" has several different meanings depending on the way it is used. | |||
| English | mm-hmm | ||
| The onomatopoeia "mm-hmm" is also sometimes transcribed as "uh-huh" and even "uhuh", and is the American English version of "uh-hu" in British English. | |||
| French | mm-hmm | ||
| In France, "mm-hmm" is sometimes used as a synonym for "oui" (yes) or "d'accord" (okay). | |||
| Frisian | mm-hmm | ||
| The Frisian word "mm-hmm" is thought to be onomatopoeic, mimicking the sound of agreement or acknowledgment. | |||
| Galician | mm-hmm | ||
| En galego, "mm-hmm" tamén pode significar "si" ou "estoy de acuerdo". | |||
| German | mm-hmm | ||
| Die Interjektion „mm-hmm“ drückt im Deutschen Zustimmung, Verständnis oder auch ein nachdenkliches Nachfragen aus. | |||
| Icelandic | mm-hmm | ||
| The Icelandic word "mm-hmm" is also an abbreviation of the phrase "maðurinn með höfðið mitt" which means "the man with my head." | |||
| Irish | mm-hmm | ||
| The Irish equivalent of "mm-hmm" is "umhm". | |||
| Italian | mm-hmm | ||
| "Mm-hmm" is also onomatopoeic of the sound of an airplane's engine running in Italian. | |||
| Luxembourgish | mm-hmm | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "mm-hmm" is sometimes used as a more emphatic alternative to the simple "jo" for "yes." | |||
| Maltese | mm-hmm | ||
| The Maltese word "mm-hmm" is derived from the English phrase "mm-hmm," which is used to express agreement or understanding. | |||
| Norwegian | mm-hmm | ||
| The Norwegian "mm-hmm" is sometimes seen as short for "mye mer" (much more), and is also an abbreviation for "mer eller mindre" (more or less). | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | mm-hmm | ||
| No Portuguese, "mm-hmm" can also be used to indicate agreement or understanding, similar to "sim" (yes) or "certo" (correct). | |||
| Scots Gaelic | mm-hmm | ||
| In Scots Gaelic, "mm-hmm" derives from "ubh-huh" meaning "yes" and is used affirmatively. | |||
| Spanish | mm-hmm | ||
| La palabra "mm-hmm" es una interjección que expresa acuerdo o comprensión, y se escribe "mmm" en español. | |||
| Swedish | mm-hmm | ||
| The Swedish "mm-hmm" is usually used to respond to a statement and is an indication that the listener is listening and comprehends the statement, but it can also be used to signify agreement, affirmation, or doubt and uncertainty. | |||
| Welsh | mm-hmm | ||
| The Welsh equivalent of "mm-hmm" is "iechyd da", which literally means "good health". | |||
Mm-Hmm in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | мм-хм | ||
| The Belarusian "мм-хм" can also mean "I see", "interesting" or "I don't know". | |||
| Bosnian | mm-hmm | ||
| In Bosnian, "mm-hmm" may also mean 'da', which denotes agreement or affirmation. | |||
| Bulgarian | mm-hmm | ||
| In Bulgarian, "mm-hmm" can also refer to a type of traditional bread, known as "mekitsa." | |||
| Czech | mm-hmm | ||
| Výraz „mm-hmm“ je v češtině používán jako onomatopoické vyjádření souhlasu, pochopení nebo povzbuzení, podobně jako v angličtině. | |||
| Estonian | mm-hmm | ||
| The word "mm-hmm" is an onomatopoeia that imitates the sound of a person humming in agreement. | |||
| Finnish | mm-hmm | ||
| The Finnish word "mm-hmm" is an onomatopoeia that conveys agreement or acknowledgment and can be used as an informal affirmative reply. | |||
| Hungarian | mm-hmm | ||
| The Hungarian phrase "mm-hmm" is a borrowed expression from English, meaning "I understand" or "I agree." | |||
| Latvian | mm-hmm | ||
| “Mm-hmm” can also be used in Latvian to mean “I am surprised by what you just said”. | |||
| Lithuanian | mm-hmm | ||
| This interjection of affirmation, similar to "uh-huh," derives from the Old English word "mhm," meaning "indeed," which also produced the modern word "maybe." | |||
| Macedonian | мм-хмм | ||
| In Macedonian, "мм-хмм" can also be translated as "yes" | |||
| Polish | mm-hmm | ||
| In the Polish language, "mm-hmm" is an interjection meaning "I understand" and is also used to express agreement or confirmation. | |||
| Romanian | mm-hmm | ||
| In Romanian, "mm-hmm" is written as "mda" and can also mean "yes" or "okay." | |||
| Russian | мм-хм | ||
| The Russian abbreviation мм-хм has an origin from the English "mm-hmm (mmh, hum) in the English "mm-hmm (mmh, hum). | |||
| Serbian | мм-хмм | ||
| In Serbian, "мм-хмм" can also mean "yes" or "I understand." | |||
| Slovak | mm-hmm | ||
| The word "mm-hmm" is an interjection typically used to express agreement or understanding, and in Slovak language it has the same meaning. | |||
| Slovenian | mm-hmm | ||
| The phrase "mm-hmm" is an expression of assent meaning "yes". | |||
| Ukrainian | мм-хм | ||
| The interjection "мм-хм" is a borrowing from English and is not etymologically connected to the native Ukrainian "хм" | |||
Mm-Hmm in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | মিমি-হুঁ | ||
| The Bengali word "মিমি-হুঁ" is often used in informal speech to mean "yes" or "I understand," but it can also mean "I'm not sure" or "I'm thinking about it." | |||
| Gujarati | મીમી-હમ્મ | ||
| "Mm-hmm" is an informal interjection used to express agreement or understanding, originating from the Gujarati expression "mimi-hmm-hmm". | |||
| Hindi | मिमी-हम्म | ||
| मिमी-हम्म is a reduplication of the voiceless bilabial nasal, which in Hindi has the sound of /m/. | |||
| Kannada | mm-hmm | ||
| The word "mm-hmm" is an onomatopoetic word that can be used as an interjection to show agreement or understanding. | |||
| Malayalam | mm-hmm | ||
| The expression "mm-hmm" may also denote "yes". | |||
| Marathi | मिमी-हम्म | ||
| The Marathi word "मिमी-हम्म" (mimii-hmm) is derived from the Sanskrit word "मीम्" (mīm), meaning "to make a sound". It is also an alternate spelling of the English word "mhm" (mm-hmm), which is used to express agreement or understanding. | |||
| Nepali | मिमी-हम्म | ||
| The Nepali word "मिमी-हम्म" is an onomatopoeic representation of the English phrase "mm-hmm", which is used to express agreement or acknowledgment. | |||
| Punjabi | ਮਿਲੀਮੀਟਰ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | mm-hmm | ||
| In Sinhala, "mm-hmm" is spelled "ම්හ්ම්" and means "yes". | |||
| Tamil | mm-hmm | ||
| The Tamil equivalent of "mm-hmm" is "um" or "ungal". | |||
| Telugu | mm-hmm | ||
| The onomatopoeic term "mm-hmm" is used to indicate agreement or understanding in both English and Telugu. | |||
| Urdu | ملی میٹر- hmm | ||
| The Urdu word ملی میٹر- Hmm (mm-hmm) comes from the English phrase 'millimeter', originally used in a joking way to refer to the sound made when someone agrees with you. | |||
Mm-Hmm in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 毫米-毫米 | ||
| 该短语起源于 20 世纪初对电话中“yes”的误听。 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 毫米-毫米 | ||
| "毫米-毫米" is written with reduplication to express a stronger affirmation. This reduplication is a calque of English "uh-huh." | |||
| Japanese | mm-うーん | ||
| The Japanese onomatopoeia "mm-うーん" (pronounced "mm-un") can also mean "mmm... not bad" or "that's right," depending on context. | |||
| Korean | 음 ~ 흠 | ||
| "음 ~ 흠 (mm-hmm)" is often used as an interjection meaning "yes" or "I understand" in Korean. | |||
| Mongolian | мм-хм | ||
| The Mongolian word "мм-хм" (mm-hmm) is derived from the Chinese phrase "嗯哼" (èn hèn), which means "yes" or "I understand." | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | mm-hmm | ||
| In Myanmar, "mm-hmm" is also used to express surprise or disbelief. | |||
Mm-Hmm in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | mm-hmm | ||
| "Mm-hmm" is derived from the sound made when a person hums or mumbles in agreement or acknowledgment, and is often used in Indonesian as a standalone response to indicate understanding or affirmation. | |||
| Javanese | mm-hmm | ||
| In Javanese, "mm-hmm" (pronounced "em-em") can also mean "yes" or "I understand". | |||
| Khmer | mm-hmm | ||
| "Mm-hmm" is used in Khmer to express agreement or understanding, and is also an abbreviation for the word "hmm." | |||
| Lao | mm-hmm | ||
| In Lao, "mm-hmm" can also be used as an expression of sympathy or understanding. | |||
| Malay | mm-hmm | ||
| The Malay word "mm-hmm" is an affirmative or agreement interjection used in conversation. | |||
| Thai | อืมมม | ||
| In addition to its use as an affirmative response "uh-huh", "อืมมม" (mmm) can carry a variety of other semantic meanings, including agreement, understanding, hesitation, or doubt | |||
| Vietnamese | mm-hmm | ||
| Món ăn thường được biết đến trong tiếng Việt là phở. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mm-hmm | ||
Mm-Hmm in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | mm-hmm | ||
| In Azerbaijani, "mm-hmm" is also a way to avoid answering a question, often used to express polite disagreement or indifference. | |||
| Kazakh | мм-хм | ||
| In Kazakh, "мм-хм" can also be used to indicate surprise or disbelief. | |||
| Kyrgyz | мм-хм | ||
| The Kyrgyz 'мм-хм' derives from the original Russian 'мм-хм'. | |||
| Tajik | мм-хм | ||
| The Tajik word "мм-хм" is pronounced like the English "mm-hmm" and carries similar meaning. | |||
| Turkmen | mm-hmm | ||
| Uzbek | mm-hmm | ||
| No results found for the etymology of "mm-hmm" in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | mm-hmm | ||
Mm-Hmm in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | mm-hmm | ||
| In Hawaiian, "mm-hmm" also means "yes, it is true" or "I understand". | |||
| Maori | mm-hmm | ||
| In Maori, "mm-hmm" is onomatopoeic, expressing the vibration or throbbing of veins when someone is lying. | |||
| Samoan | mm-hmm | ||
| The Samoan word "mm-hmm" comes from the English "mm-hmm" and is pronounced and used in the same way. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | mm-hmm | ||
| The Tagalog word "mm-hmm" is a loanword from English and has the same meaning. | |||
Mm-Hmm in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | mm-hmm ukat juk’ampinaka | ||
| Guarani | mm-hmm rehegua | ||
Mm-Hmm in International Languages
| Esperanto | mm-hmm | ||
| Latin | hmm mm, | ||
| In Latin, "hmm mm" is an onomatopoeia for the sound of a kiss. | |||
Mm-Hmm in Others Languages
| Greek | mm-χμμ | ||
| The word "mm-χμμ" is also used in Greek to express agreement or understanding, and can be translated to "yes" or "I understand". | |||
| Hmong | hli-hmm | ||
| In the Hmong language, the word "hli-hmm" is also an interjection used to express agreement or confirmation | |||
| Kurdish | mm-hmm | ||
| The etymology of "mm-hmm" is uncertain, but some believe it comes from an Arabic phrase meaning "yes yes". It can also be used as an interjection to express agreement, understanding, or acknowledgement | |||
| Turkish | mm-hmm | ||
| "Mm-hmm" sözcüğü Osmanlı Türkçesinde "mem" sözcüğünden türemiştir ve onaylama ve anlama ifadesi olarak kullanılır. | |||
| Xhosa | mm-hmm | ||
| Mm-hmm is thought to derive from an African language such as Xhosa, where it is used for emphasis. | |||
| Yiddish | מם-המם | ||
| The word 'mm-hmm' in Yiddish is a cognate of the French phrase 'mhm' meaning 'yes'. | |||
| Zulu | mm-hmm | ||
| The word "mm-hmm" in Zulu has no direct translation, but is instead represented by the phrase "uhuh". | |||
| Assamese | মিমি-হম্ম | ||
| Aymara | mm-hmm ukat juk’ampinaka | ||
| Bhojpuri | मिमी-हम्म के बा | ||
| Dhivehi | އެމްއެމް-އެޗްއެމް | ||
| Dogri | मिमी-हम्म | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mm-hmm | ||
| Guarani | mm-hmm rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | mm-hmm nga | ||
| Krio | mm-hmm na di wan | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | mm-hmm | ||
| Maithili | मिमी-हम्म | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯤꯃꯤ-ꯍꯃꯝ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | mm-hmm a ni | ||
| Oromo | mm-hmm jedhamuun beekama | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | mm-hmm | ||
| Quechua | mm-hmm | ||
| Sanskrit | मिमी-हम्म् | ||
| Tatar | мм-хмм | ||
| Tigrinya | ሚ.ሜ-ሕምም | ||
| Tsonga | mm-hmm | ||