“Eh” is a popular Canadianism; a linguistic stereotype that is used as a variant of “Don’t you think?,” “Excuse me,” or “huh”
It can be tricky to know what to reply with when someone uses this interjection because it means a lot of things.
But in most cases, people add “eh” at the end of a sentence (especially when texting) to incite a reply or to confirm your agreement to an opinion.
The best response is to reply with, “Yep, definitely.” It is a casual way to confirm or agree with the statement that precedes “eh,” but if you don’t follow or agree with the information, you can respond with, “I don’t see it that way. Can you elaborate?”
Other replies sound better than these. I recommend them because “eh” is pretty much ambiguous, especially over the text, so it would help if you throw a little context into the situation before choosing the best reply.
For this reason, we’ll briefly go through the possible meanings for when someone says “eh” and then fifteen fantastic ways you can respond.
What does “Eh” mean in texting?
If someone ends their sentence with “Eh” over text, they are expressing a noise to agree or asking you to explain (or repeat) what you have said.
Canadians use it primarily as Americans use “huh?” or “right?” when communicating. For example, We’ll go to the coffee shop today, eh (right)?
However, the possible meaning behind “eh” in the text is to prompt a person to respond to what was said or to show that the person does not understand the statement. For example, if you text someone, “The sky is red inside the pot of sand,” the person can reply with “Eh??” to show they don’t understand you.
Here are the various scenarios where you can use ‘eh’ and their examples:
| Meaning of “Eh” over text | Example |
| To express surprise | “Interesting plots twist, eh?” |
| As a substitute for the exclamation | “What a game, eh?” |
| To state an opinion, | “It was a good presentation, eh?” |
| To express a request | “Let’s talk about this tomorrow, eh?” |
| To confirm a criticism subtly | “You really disappointed the coach, eh?” |
| As an open loop to continue storytelling or gist so that the listeners continue to listen | “So I went to this event, eh?” “and I saw Elon Musk, eh?” “I then approached him and…” |
As you can see, “eh” is flexible enough to squeeze into most conversations and settings. So the best response will depend on how it was used. But here are some fantastic options I’ve put together for you in case words fail you:
15 Best Responses To “Eh”
“Yep, definitely.”
When someone uses “eh” at the end of their remark, statement, or question, you can respond with “Yep, definitely.” It is easy to remember and it is a simple way to express that you agree with whatever was preceding the “eh”
“Yep” in this reply evokes a casual tone and then “definitely” is added to express solidarity on the subject being discussed.
- You’re coming to the party tomorrow, Eh?
- Yep, definitely,
- That was a long movie, eh?
- Yep, it sure was.
“For sure, eh?”
Another way you can respond to “eh” is to question the seriousness of the statement that precedes the word. It is best used when someone uses “eh” to express an opinion.
Even though you don’t subscribe to popular canadialism, adding “eh” to “for sure” establishes mutual understanding.
- I am the best artiste on that team, eh
- For sure, eh?
“Ah, I see what you mean.”
“Ah, I see what you mean” is another appropriate response, especially when the person uses “eh” to confirm if you understand what they are saying.
For example, if someone is trying to describe how he solved an issue, they’d likely use “eh” at the end. So you can reply with “Ah, I see what you mean” when you eventually understand
- All I had to do was use this pattern to model the new design, and it came out well, eh?
- Ah, I see what you mean. Thank you for explaining
“No kidding, eh?”
You can reply with “No kidding, eh?” when the person uses “eh” to express a strong opinion or assertion. For example, the person could be complimenting someone or something and then add “eh” at the end of the sentence to see if you agree with what they think.
- That’s the best Italian dish we’ve ever eaten, eh?
- No kidding, eh
“Really? Tell me more.”
I mentioned earlier that “eh” can be used as an effective open loop, and Canadians say this a lot when giving a gist. So as many times as they say “eh” while telling a story of how something happened, you can reply with “tell me more” or just nod to show you are following
- I went to this guy’s house, eh?
- Really tell me more
- So we were talking, and he tried to make advances on me, eh?
- Tell me more (or just nod so you don’t sound like a robot)
“Wait, what? I’m not sure I understand.”
“Wait, what? I’m not sure I understand” this is another good way to reply to “eh,” especially when you don’t get what is being explained.
For instance, someone would add “eh” at the end of their statement to incite a reply from you for them to confirm that you understand. If you don’t comprehend, you can say so.
- The project is supposed to take three weeks through the inverter, eh?
- Wait, what? I’m not sure I understand
You can also express the same response in another way. You could say:
- We walked on water to get to the destination, eh?
- I’m not following up; could you clarify?
You can even show you are confused by replying with “eh?” It causes the person to explain more clearly.
“I disagree; that doesn’t seem right to me.”
Sometimes, people would include “eh” at the end of the statement they made to seek validation or confirm if they agreed with what they had just said.
If you don’t agree, you can politely turn down their idea by saying, “I disagree; that doesn’t seem right to me.”
“I don’t think that’s the case; can you explain?”
This is another way you can disagree with a statement when someone says something and ends it with “eh?” It also means “right?”
So if you don’t concur, perhaps because you are not on the same page with the person, you can express that thought.
- The naira redesign is a political agenda, eh?
- I don’t think that’s the case; can you explain?
“Eh? You must be from the Great White North.”
If you are looking for a humorous way to respond to the famous Canadialism “eh” by emphasizing jokes around why natives overuse “eh,” then you can say “Eh?” You must be from the Great White North.”
It immediately throws the conversation into a lighthearted mode.
- This is a tough football match, eh?
- “Eh? You have got to be from the Great White North.”
The Canadian comedy reference strikes a humorous sentiment.
“Yeah, exactly.”
Again, people use “eh” at the end of their sentences to see if they agree with what they are saying. The word allows you to confirm your support for the statement they make. So if you concur with their remark, question, or statement, you can say a simple “yeah, exactly”
- The RAM chip is supposed to be in the first slot, eh?
- Yeah, exactly
It is best used over the text and when the conversation is about questions or directives.
“Sure, I agree.”
If someone adds “eh” to an opinion they share with you, and you concur with that opinion, you can respond with “sure I agree”
It is also best used when you want to confirm that you’ll do something that the other person has suggested. For example:
- You will go to the gym with me tomorrow, eh?
- Sure, I agree
You can also use this response to express your acceptance of a suggestion or idea
- Let’s implement the first phase now, eh?
- Sure I agree
“Mm-hmm, I see.”
“Mm-hmm” is a sound people make to indicate agreement or satisfaction. You could use this as a response when someone says “eh” in their sentence to encourage them to keep talking.
- If he ever tries to get revenge, I will go with plan B, eh? Then I’ll contact…
- Mm-hmm, I see.
If there’s any point where their explanation isn’t clear to you or you don’t concur and they use “eh,” you can interrupt and say something like, “I don’t see it that way; can you elaborate?”
Last thoughts
If you are not used to communicating with Canadians, you may find it amusing when they use “eh” countless times while talking.
It is okay to feel a little awkward using it in your everyday conversation, but it’s important to know what it means and how to respond when someone uses it while talking to you.
Since “eh” can be applied in so many situations, it can be tricky to reply without being distracted by the spoken interjection.
Words may even fail you at that moment.
But at least, you now know of the different ways to respond, eh?