待ちます
machimasu
In Japanese, "I will wait" is said as 待ちます (machimasu).
The phrase is used to tell someone that you intend to stay in a place until they arrive or something happens.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The dictionary form 待つ is used in casual conversation with friends or family. The form 待ちます is the polite form used with strangers or superiors. For highly formal situations, you can use お待ちしております to mean "I am waiting" or お待ちしています, which is polite and formal, though slightly less deferential than the former. Among friends and peers, the informal 待ってるよ can be used to say "I'm waiting for you."
How does it change in a sentence?
The continuous form 待っています is often used instead of 待ちます to express that you are currently in the state of waiting or will be waiting for a duration of time.
How do you pronounce it?
machimasu
Did you know?
- In Japanese culture, saying 待ちます may be interpreted as putting pressure on the other person to hurry, so people often use vague phrases like ゆっくりでいいです meaning 'take your time' alongside it.
- The polite version お待ちしております (omachi shite orimasu) uses humble Japanese, which actually lowers your own status to show respect to the person you are waiting for.
- The kanji for 'wait', 待, contains the radical for 'person' (亻) on the left, visually suggesting that the act of waiting involves a human being or a person's presence.
Examples in context
- 私はここで妹を待ちます。I will wait for my sister here.This sentence shows how to use 待ちます to say you are waiting for someone at a specific location.Tatoeba #161058 by tommy__san, translation #253460 by CK
- 彼が来るまでここで待ちます。I will wait here till he comes.This sentence is useful for expressing that you will wait in a certain place until someone arrives.Tatoeba #119348 by bunbuku, translation #284315 by CK
- 彼が帰ってくるまでここで待ちます。I will wait here until he comes back.This sentence demonstrates using 待ちます to indicate waiting until someone returns.Tatoeba #120492 by bunbuku, translation #284234 by CK
- 田中さん、お待ちしております。Mr./Ms. Tanaka, I will wait.
- お昼ごはんは？待ってるよ。What about lunch? I'm waiting.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A rainy afternoon at a bus stop.
- 大翔 Hiroto雨が止むまで、ここで待ちます。Ame ga yamu made, koko de machimasu.I will wait here until the rain stops.
- 美咲 Misaki本当に大丈夫ですか？Hontō ni daijōbu desu ka?Are you really sure it's okay?
- 大翔 Hirotoはい、美咲さんが来るまで待ちます。Hai, Misaki-san ga kuru made machimasu.Yes, I will wait until you arrive, Misaki.
- 美咲 Misakiありがとうございます。すぐに行きますね。Arigatō gozaimasu. Sugu ni ikimasu ne.Thank you. I will be there soon.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
