"Eh hen" is a phrase from Cameroon that serves many purposes. Nyango sent the recording below to explain its meanings (some of which depend upon the intonation)…
Recording about the Cameroonian Phrase "Eh hen"
I listed the definitions below in the order that Nyango mentions them.
Here are the meanings of "eh hen" in Cameroonian:
1. I’m shocked
2. I told you so
3. Please continue
4. And so what?
5. Can I help you?
6. As I was saying…
7. Is it true?
8. Really?
9. See yourself?
10. By the way…
Nyango wrote: "So easy to speak Cameroonian!"
Do you have a multipurpose expression like this in your language?
-Mama Lisa
Many thanks to Nyango M. Nambangi of the Minnesota African Women’s Association (MAWA) for explaining the uses of "eh hen" in Cameroonian.
This article was posted on Tuesday, March 25th, 2014 at 12:17 pm and is filed under Cameroon, Cameroonian Pidgin English, Countries & Cultures, Languages, MP3's, Recordings. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
One Response to “"Eh hen" – A Multipurpose Cameroonian Phrase”
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March 25th, 2014 at 1:37 pm
Nyango added the following:
“Here are some more – I think they may just be a variation of some already stated – Eh hen- I forgot; Eh hen – Wait!, Eh-Hen – True dat! This has been a worthwhile exercise! Cameroonians are just loving it!”