ehen
Ehen is a Nigerian exclamation that can mean “I see,” “exactly,” “go on,” or “as I was saying.” The tone tells you which.
What ehen means
Wikipedia lists four common uses. It can show you understand (“ehen, now I get it”), agree (“ehen, that’s what I said”), encourage someone to keep talking (“ehen, then what happened?”), or move the conversation along (“ehen, before I forget”). It’s often written with an exclamation mark, “Ehen!”, when someone finally says the thing you were waiting for.
Examples
- “So you’re saying he lied?” “Ehen! That’s what I’ve been telling you.”
- “Ehen, then what did she say?”
- “Ehen, before I forget, your mum called.”
Where it came from
It comes from Nigerian Pidgin. Wikipedia describes it as an onomatopoeic sound, a spoken pause that grabs attention or signals that you follow.
Related terms
More Nigerian words are in our Nigerian slang guide.
Example sentence
“And then he showed up with flowers.” “Ehen! Go on.”
Similar words
I see, exactly, go on
Notes
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