Chotto Matte [ちょっと待って] is a Japanese phrase that means “Please wait a moment.” It is often used as a polite way to ask someone to wait while you do something or to indicate that you need a moment to think about something.
The phrase can be used in various situations, but it is most commonly used when someone is asking another person to wait. For example, if you are on the phone and need to put the person on hold for a moment, you can say “Chotto matte Kudasai.”
If you are in a hurry and someone is taking too long, you can say “Chotto matte!” in a more energetic way to tell the person to hurry up.
If you find yourself in a situation where you need to use chotto matte, remember that it is a polite phrase and should be used as such.
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Chotto matte is a Japanese phrase that can be translated to mean “wait a minute” or “wait a bit.”
Kevinbk
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Meaning of Chotto Matte
The word chotto [ちょっと] means a little, while matte [待って] is the imperative form of the verb matsu (待つ), which means to wait. There is no secret behind the word.
The Kudasai [ください] commonly used means please, and it is a polite way to make a request. Sometimes you can use the particle Ne [ね] equivalent to “isn’t it?” or “right?”.
Chotto can also be written [一寸] and its other meanings can be:
- Just a minute;
- for a moment;
- briefly;
- A little;
- I’m sorry;
- It’s not feasible;
Exactly, sometimes the expression Chotto or even Chotto Matte works evasively to avoid some answer or responsibility, to give time to reflect, or to use as an excuse.
You can also use Chotto Matta [ちょっと待った] to express strongly and urgently. Something like: Wait a minute.
Chotto Matte Kudasai in Keigo
We know that saying Chotto Matte is informal, and by adding Kudasai it becomes more polite, but if you want to speak in a more polite way in Keigo, at a high degree of formality, we can use the following expression:
少々お待ちください shou shou omachi kudasai
By repeating the kanji for small and little [少], we want to say a little time, and by adding the verb to wait in the form [お], we make it even more polite.
This form is generally spoken in businesses, shops, and some companies. It can be literally translated as: “Please wait a little.”
Sentences with Chotto Matte
Wait a moment, I will check.
確認するからちょっと待って。
Kakunin suru kara chotto matte.
Wait a bit until I am ready.
準備ができるまでちょっと待ってくれ jyunbi ga dekiru made chotto matte kure
Note that the sentence ends with Kure [くれ] which means something like “give” something. In this case, in the sentence, the person is asking to wait.
ちょっと待ってよ。 Chotto Matte yo
We can also use the particle [よ] to end the expression!
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