What's the Japanese for 'er...' - a pause or uncertainty in a sentence?


I was in Tokyo earlier this year and one thing I noticed people saying a lot
was something that sounded like `anno`.

It sounded to me like an uncertain pause in a sentence, like:

[code]

    I'd like, er... (anno) one of those please
    
[/code]

Is there an equivalent in Japanese of the English 'er...'?

If so, how would I use it in a basic Japanese sentence such as ordering
drinks?




You heard あのう _anō_ , which is a bit like "ahem" or "well", used to get
someone's attention and prepare the listener to what you're going to say.

A better substitute for "er" would be えっと／ええと. To order a beer you could say

> えっと、生一。
>
> えっと、とりあえず生で。

(if you're asked by the waiter).

If you're trying to get the waiter's attention, it's better to use あのう.

Also check

  * [Where does 「えっと」 come from?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/9580/where-does-%E3%81%88%E3%81%A3%E3%81%A8-come-from)
  * [How to begin a reply to a question?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/16030/how-to-begin-a-reply-to-a-question/16031#16031)

