(informal, Britain, Australia, Canada, US)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?
In isolation, a request for repetition or clarification of what has just been said. Compare what, pardon.
(Canada)An interjection used to ascertain the continued attention of an individual addressed by the speaker
I went to the restaurant, eh, but my friends didn't show up.
Expressing apathy or lack of enthusiasm; meh.
—Do you feel like going out tonight? —Eh, I don't know.
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 English-speaking world, including the northern United States, Australia, New Zealand, England, Scotland, and South Africa.
Translations
Verb
eh (third-person singular simple presentehs, present participleehing, simple past and past participleehed)
To use the interjection eh
Adjective
eh
(informal, predicative only) Of mediocre quality; unremarkable.
My French fries were eh.
Anagrams
H&E, H.E., HE, He, he, he-
Albanian
Etymology
From Proto-Albanian*akˢka, from Proto-Indo-European*h₂eḱ-(“sharp”).
Verb
eh (first-person singular past tenseeha, participleehur)
I sharpen
I whet
I hone (metal-edged tools)
Conjugation
Derived terms
preh
mpreh
ehull
teh
Related terms
ath
athët
thua
French
Interjection
eh
signifying indifference or surprise
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /e/
Anagrams
hé
External links
“eh” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).
German
Etymology
From Middle High Germanē(“earlier, ere”), originally ēr. Modern Standard German uses the lengthened form ehe (only as a conjunction).
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /ʔeː/
Conjunction
eh
(colloquial) before
Adverb
eh
(colloquial) anyway
(colloquial, Austria) well, admittedly (for which in Germany only schon is used)
Hungarian
Pronunciation
Rhymes: -ɛx
Interjection
eh
indicates indifference, usually used as a reply alone: meh
indicates an obvious mistake: oh, no
Related terms
ej
Manx
Etymology
From Old Irishé(“he, they”), from Proto-Indo-European*éy. Cognate with Irishé and Scottish Gaelice.
Pronoun
eh (emphaticeshyn)
he, him
it
Nauruan
Particle
eh
yes
Norwegian
Interjection
eh
uh
Synonyms
øh
Pohnpeian
Etymology 1
Noun
eh
The name of the Latin-script letter E.
Etymology 2
Alternative forms
e
ah
Determiner
eh
his, her, hers, its, third person possessive pronoun
Etymology 3
Noun
eh
liver
Etymology 4
Interjection
eh
a particle used after names of people when calling them
Etymology 5
Interjection
eh
an interjection signifying understanding
a response used when answering a call in a feast
Portuguese
Verb
eh
(Internet slang, text messaging)Alternative form of é(“is”)
Interjection
eh
(Internet slang, text messaging)Alternative form of é(“yeah”)
Southern Ohlone
Noun
eh
gray ground squirrel
Spanish
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /ˈe/
Homophones: e, he
Interjection
eh
hey! (used to call, draw attention, warn or reprehend)
uh, um (space filler in a conversation, expression of hesitation or pause in speech)