# isn't it? - filler



## HKK

Hello all,

When speaking in a natural way, people often use short "confirmation requests", to make sure the listener is still listening and agrees.

For example: The weather's nice, _isn't it_? He surely knows what he's talking about, _doesn't he_?

How does this translate into Arabic? And, more generally, which words are used as "filler" in conversation, not meaning much but making speech more natural?

ps: I realise these won't probably be MSA words, but dialectal/colloquial "filler" would also be appreciated. Thanks


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## clevermizo

In the Levant people say: _mish heek_ مش هيك for this expression (or مو هيك؟ _mu heek_? in the north).

In Egypt I think they would say mish keda مش كده.

I don't know about other dialects.

Edit: The more stilted MSA way to say this, just for reference is أ ليس كذلك؟ a laysa kadhaalik? I believe however, that the MSA هكذا haakadha is the actual reflex/cognate with the words heek/keda.


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## elroy

Besides مش هيك؟, we say the following in Palestinian Arabic:

مش آه؟ (_mish aa?_)
ولا لأ؟ (_willa la2?_)
صح؟ (_Sa7?_)
لا؟ (_laa?_) - Note that in this context the word for "no" is pronounced _laa_ and not _la2_.

As for your general question about fillers used in conversation, I'm afraid that's too broad a topic for one thread.


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## Tariq_Ibn_zyad

North Africa:

-Wella laa?
-Yaak?


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## faranji

HKK said:


> And, more generally, which words are used as "filler" in conversation, not meaning much but making speech more natural?


 
One hears _yani_ (lit. 'it means') a lot, especially at the beginning of sentences.


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## MarcB

HKK,
These previous threads will give you an answer.
Tariq what about the last post of 2.
http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=100736&highlight=filler 

http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=398853&highlight=%26%231605%3B%26%231608%3B+%26%231580%3B%26%231584%3B%26%231610%3B

http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=368358


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## HKK

Thank you for this wealth of information  It's not easy to think about this, because filler is so idiomatic. I could imagine (desperately) using my own Dutch/Leuvense fillers in any language, as someone was described to do in one of the threads offered by MarcB. 

(For the time being, my university doesn't offer any dialects for study, but that might be about to change. So if any of you natives are tired of your jobs...)


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## Tariq_Ibn_zyad

MarcB said:


> HKK,
> These previous threads will give you an answer.
> Tariq what about the last post of 2.
> http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=100736&highlight=filler
> 
> http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=398853&highlight=%26%231605%3B%26%231608%3B+%26%231580%3B%26%231584%3B%26%231610%3B
> 
> http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=368358



Yes "Mashi hakda?/mashi hakka?"= Isn't it like this?
But it sounds heavy to me when used like a "filler" as meant by HKK

Basing myself on Algerian,the most frequent fillers would be:

-fhemtni?= Do you understand? Do you know what I mean?
-fhemt wella laa?= Did you understand or not?
-yaak? waak?= Right? Isn't it? (like the french "n'est ce pas?")
-rak shaayef? rak tchouf?= You see?
-3reft kiifaash? 3reft kiifaah? = Litt. "You know how?"

There are also non-interrogative fillers used in the same way that are very common:

Rak 3aaref!/Rak ta3ref! = you know!
3la baalek! = on your mind= you know!


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## Abu Rashid

A few more are:
3aref keef
3aref shlon
shayf keef
shayf shlon
fahemt 3alayya


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## MarcB

HKK said:


> Thank you for this wealth of information  It's not easy to think about this, because filler is so idiomatic. I could imagine (desperately) using my own Dutch/Leuvense fillers in any language, as someone was described to do in one of the threads offered by MarcB.
> 
> (For the time being, my university doesn't offer any dialects for study, but that might be about to change. So if any of you natives are tired of your jobs...)


Try resources #9 while you wait.


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## coptiyah

Hi,

in Egyptian we say :

maashi=OK a lot, it's the equivalent to  tamam or tayeb  

also 
inta/inti ma3ayah= you with me? you got my meaning?

ya3ni=I mean

ya3ni eyh? =what's that mean?

someone already told you about mish keda?= isn't it? wa laa eyh= or not?

 so you can say mish keda wala eyh meaning that's right isn't it?

can't think of anymore.


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## HKK

Thank you too, Coptiyah. What would be a more literal translation of maashi? Complete, good, something else?


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## elroy

HKK said:


> Thank you too, Coptiyah. What would be a more literal translation of maashi? Complete, good, something else?


 No.

"Maashi" is the active verbal participle of the verb "to walk" so it literally means "walking."

However, in a figurative sense it can mean "functioning" or "working."  So in this context it literally means that what you just said is "functional" (i.e. "acceptable").


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## HKK

Just like 'ça va': it goes  thanks


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## elroy

HKK said:


> Just like 'ça va': it goes  thanks


 Good comparison!


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## faranji

> in Egyptian we say :
> 
> maashi=OK a lot, it's the equivalent to tamam or tayeb


 
In Moroccan darija that'd be _wakha_, which is also said A LOT.


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