あなたを待っています
anata o matte imasu
The English phrase "I will wait for you" is translated into Japanese as あなたを待っています (anata o matte imasu).
This phrase is used to state that you are currently waiting for someone or intend to wait for them.
Which one should you use?
It is important not to confuse this with 待ってください (matte kudasai), which means "Please wait (for me)" rather than "I will wait for you".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The phrase あなたを待っています is a standard way to express this. For formal business or professional contexts, use お待ちしております. In casual conversation with friends, the polite imasu is dropped and replaced with the casual 待ってるよ (matteru yo) or the soft, gender-neutral 待ってるね.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Kansai region, the informal form 待っとるで is used in casual conversation to mean "I will wait for you".
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the ~te imasu form to express a continuous state or an intention that is currently in progress.
How do you pronounce it?
anata o matte imasu
Did you know?
- The word あなた (anata), meaning 'you', is often avoided in real Japanese conversation because it can sound distant or even confrontational. In many cases, a person would replace it with the listener's name and the honorific suffix さん (san).
- In Japanese, the concept of waiting is often linked to 'patience' through the word 忍耐 (nintai), which literally means 'enduring' a difficult situation.
- If you use the ultra-polite version お待ちしております (omachi shite orimasu) in a business setting, you are actually using 'humble Japanese' (kenjougo) to lower your own status and elevate the listener.
Examples in context
- お待ちしておりますので、ごゆっくりお越しください。I will wait for you, so please take your time.
- ここであなたを待っています。Koko de anata o matte imasu.I am waiting for you here.
- ずっとあなたを待っています。Zutto anata o matte imasu.I will be waiting for you the whole time.
Example conversation
Yui and Kenta are meeting at a cafe.
- 結衣 Yui健太さん、もうすぐ着きますか？Kenta-san, mō sugu tsukimasu ka?Kenta, are you arriving soon?
- 健太 Kentaごめん！あと五分で着くよ。Gomen! Ato gofun de tsuku yo.Sorry! I'll be there in five minutes.
- 結衣 Yui大丈夫です。店内であなたを待っています。Daijōbu desu. Tennai de anata o matteimasu.That's fine. I am waiting for you inside the shop.
- 健太 Kentaありがとう。すぐに行くね。Arigatō. Sugu ni iku ne.Thanks. I'm coming right now.
