heu
/ø/
The English word 'er' is expressed in French as heu.
heu is an interjection used to indicate hesitation in speech.
Meaning: hesitating in speech (intj)
How do you pronounce it?
/ø/
Did you know?
- A person might use heu not just to find a word, but to politely interrupt someone by signaling that they are about to speak.
- Depending on the pitch, a prolonged heuuuu can be used to express disbelief or a 'judgmental' pause instead of simple hesitation.
- Some French speakers use euh as a way to soften a request or a criticism, making the statement sound less direct and more polite.
Examples in context
- Heu…Er…This example shows how to use heu to express hesitation.Tatoeba #5264708 by pititnatole, translation #5264713 by pititnatole
- parlerto talk
- Je suis ravi(e) de vous rencontrerI am delighted to meet you
- Merci beaucoup pour votre aideThank you very much for your help
- On se voit tout à l'heureSee you later
- T'es génial(e) !You're awesome!
- C'est coolThat's cool
- Heu… je ne sais pas trop.Er… I don't really know.
- Heu, c'est un peu compliqué.Er, it's a bit complicated.
Example conversation
Hugo is trying to remember where he left his keys.
- ChloéTu as vu mes clés, Hugo ?Have you seen my keys, Hugo?
- HugoHeu… je crois qu'elles sont sur la table.Er… I think they are on the table.
- ChloéNon, elles ne sont pas là.No, they are not there.
- HugoHeu, attends, je vais chercher dans mon sac.Er, wait, I will look in my bag.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry heu, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
