What does Chotto Matte Kudasai mean?

Chotto Matte [ちょっと待って] is a Japanese phrase that means "wait a moment." It is often used to ask someone to wait while you do something or to show that you need a moment to think. Spoken on its own it is casual, and the polite version is chotto matte kudasai [ちょっと待ってください].

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. With a friendly tone it stays a request; with a sharp tone it turns into a clear demand.

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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 te-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 in the phrase means please, and it is a polite way to make a request. It attaches to the te-form of a verb, here matte. Sometimes you can use the particle ne [ね] at the end, equivalent to "isn't it?" or "right?" in English.

Chotto is usually written in kana, but it can also appear as [一寸], a rarely used kanji form. Depending on the context it can mean:

• just a minute, a short moment;
• a little, a bit;
• somewhat, rather;
• hardly, not easily, before a negative verb;
• hey, excuse me, to get someone's attention;
• no thanks, not possible, when you decline politely;

Sometimes chotto or even chotto matte is used evasively, to gain time to think or to avoid a clear answer. A drawn-out ちょっと… or the phrase ちょっと難しいですね ("that is a little difficult") works as a soft refusal that sounds less blunt than a direct no.

You can also use chotto matta [ちょっと待った] to express something strongly and urgently, like "wait a minute!". It sounds more insistent and rougher than chotto matte.

Chotto Matte Kudasai in Keigo

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, you can use the following expression:

少々お待ちください
shou shou omachi kudasai

少々 (shou shou) means "a little" or "a short moment". お待ち (omachi) is the polite form of matsu (待つ): the prefix お comes before the stem of the masu form, and kudasai turns it into a request.

This form is generally spoken in businesses, shops, restaurants and on the phone, and it belongs to keigo, the polite language with several levels of formality. 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.

The expression kakunin suru kara means "because I will check". The request at the end is casual and common among friends.

Wait a bit until I am ready.

準備ができるまでちょっと待ってくれ。
junbi ga dekiru made chotto matte kure.

Note that the sentence ends with kure [くれ], the imperative of kureru (くれる), "to give". It makes the request more familiar and direct, and it would sound rude toward a boss.

ちょっと待ってよ。
Chotto matte yo.

The particle yo [よ] at the end reinforces the request.

As a rule of thumb, chotto matte works among friends, chotto matte kudasai is the safe choice in everyday situations, and 少々お待ちください is the form to use at work and in customer service. If you are the one who kept someone waiting, the standard reply is お待たせしました (omatase shimashita), "thank you for your patience."