ちょっと待って
chotto matte
The English phrase 'hold up' can be translated into Japanese as ちょっと待って (chotto matte).
ちょっと待って is used to ask someone to physically pause their movement or to interrupt a conversation or a process to express surprise or confusion.
Meaning: to wait or delay (verb)
Which one should you use?
While ちょっと待って is a simple way to say 'hold up a sec' or 'wait a moment', you can use 待ってください to be more polite or the highly respectful お待ちいただけませんか to say 'Could you please wait?' On the other hand, ちょっと待て is a much more blunt, aggressive or masculine version of the command.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
ちょっと待って is an informal phrase. For a polite version suitable for strangers or superiors, you can add ください to the end to say ちょっと待ってください. For very formal situations, use お待ちいただけませんか.
How does it change in a sentence?
Adding the particle ね to the end of ちょっと待ってね makes the request sound softer and more conversational, often used when seeking agreement or reassurance.
How do you pronounce it?
chotto matte
Did you know?
- When used as an interjection of disbelief, ちょっと待って is often accompanied by a hand gesture, such as holding up a palm, which mirrors the English 'hold up' gesture.
- While ちょっと literally means 'a little', it is frequently used as a polite cushion word to avoid being too direct, even when the speaker knows the wait will be long.
- In certain anime or dramatic contexts, the aggressive ちょっと待て is often used by characters to freeze an opponent in their tracks, similar to a verbal 'stop' in a duel.
Examples in context
- ちょっと待って、何しようとしてるの？Hold up, what do you think you're doing?This sentence shows how to use ちょっと待って to interrupt a situation to express confusion.Tatoeba #3975508 by tommy_san, translation #4635437 by mactrey
- 「あっ、ちょっと待って！」「どしたん？」「靴に砂が」"Wait, hold up a second!" "What's wrong?" "I got some sand in my shoes."This sentence provides an example of using ちょっと待って to react to a sudden problem.Tatoeba #12577599 by small_snow, translation #12698387 by end
- ちょっと待ってね。私、先にしないといけないことがあるの。Hold up! There is something I have to do first.This sentence demonstrates how to use ちょっと待って with the particle ね to soften the request.Tatoeba #9621031 by small_snow, translation #9988543 by tsp_2
- 申し訳ありませんが、少々お待ちください。I'm sorry, but please hold on for a moment.
- お客様、お待ちいただけませんか？Excuse me, could you please wait?
- ちょっと待って、それから一緒に行こう。Hold up a sec, let's go together after that.
- ちょっと待ってもらえますか？俺、すぐ戻るよ。Can you hold up for a moment? I'll be right back.
Example conversation
Two friends are walking and one notices something.
- 大翔 Hirotoちょっと待って。あそこにいい店があるよ。Chotto matte. Asoko ni ii mise ga aru yo.Hold up. There is a good shop over there.
- 陽葵 Himari本当だ！何のお店かな？Hontou da! Nan no omise kana?You're right! I wonder what kind of shop it is.
- 大翔 Hirotoケーキ屋さんみたいだよ。Keiki-ya-san mitai da yo.It looks like a cake shop.
- 陽葵 Himariじゃあ、中に入ってみよう！Jaa, naka ni haitte miyou!Then let's go inside!
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
