Meaning:

In English, words like “uhm” and “er” are used as filler words when you’re thinking about what to say. In Chinese, “那个”(nèige) is used for this purpose. This can sound a bit unfortunate to English speakers, but it’s very common in Mandarin and you’ll hear it quite often around Chinese speakers.

“那个” can be inserted into sentences wherever you need to pause for thought. This is similar to the slang use of “like” in English, or filler words in general.

Examples:

1. 这 个 啤酒 有点 那个… 那个…

   Zhè ɡè píjiǔ yóudiǎn nàɡè. . . nàɡè. .

   This beer is a bit. . .uhh. . .well. . .

2. 那个，我 不 和 你们 一起 吃饭 了，好 吗？

    Nàɡè, wǒ bú hé nǐmen yìqǐ chīfàn le, hǎo mɑ

    So. . .uhm, I won’t eat with you guys, OK?