那個 is a verbal filler [1] as common and as harmless as um, like, you know… I remember hearing it as the punchline of a joke highlighting a linguistic and cultu

那個 is a verbal filler [1] as common and as harmless as um, like, you know… I remember hearing it as the punchline of a joke highlighting a linguistic and cultural mixup. Never imagined the mixup would be taken as a serious offense. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filler_(linguistics) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filler_(linguistics)