気長にお待ちください
kinaga ni omachi kudasai
In Japanese, "please be patient with me" is expressed as 気長にお待ちください (kinaga ni omachi kudasai).
This phrase is used to make a polite request for someone to wait calmly and without frustration for a result or a response.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The form 気長にお待ちください is formal and suitable for business or customer service contexts. Other formal variations exist to emphasize apologies for inconvenience or trouble, such as お手数をおかけしますが、お待ちいただけますと幸いです。 or ご迷惑をおかけしまして大変申し訳ございませんが、お待ちいただけますでしょうか。
How do you pronounce it?
kinaga ni omachi kudasai
Did you know?
- In a business setting, instead of asking for patience, Japanese speakers often use the phrase お時間をいただけますでしょうか which means 'could I please have some of your time?' This reframes the delay as a request for a gift of time rather than a lack of speed.
- If you are asking for patience regarding a technical error or a mistake, you might use ご容赦ください (goyousha kudasai). This literally means 'please forgive me', treating the lack of speed as a transgression rather than just a delay.
- While 気長 describes a patient temperament, the opposite state of being impatient or short-tempered is expressed as 短気 (mijika-ki), literally meaning 'short spirit'.
Examples in context
- ご迷惑をおかけしまして申し訳ございませんが、パソコンの問題でお手数をおかけしております。対応をお待ちいただけますでしょうか。I apologize for any inconvenience and trouble. We have encountered a computer issue and would appreciate your patience while we solve it.
- 作業に時間がかかるので、気長にお待ちください。Sagyou ni jikan ga kakaru node, kinaga ni omachi kudasai.The work takes time, so please be patient with me.
- 改善に努めますので、気長にお待ちください。Kaizen ni tsutomemasu node, kinaga ni omachi kudasai.I will strive to improve, so please be patient with me.
Example conversation
A customer is asking a shop staff member about a custom order.
- 陽葵 Himariこの注文はいつ頃完成しますか？Kono chuumon wa itsugoro kansei shimasu ka?Around when will this order be completed?
- 大翔 Hiroto少し時間がかかりますので、気長にお待ちください。Sukoshi jikan ga kakarimasu node, kinaga ni omachi kudasai.It will take a little time, so please be patient with me.
- 陽葵 Himariわかりました。楽しみにしています。Wakarimashita. Tanoshimi ni shite imasu.I understand. I'm looking forward to it.
- 大翔 Hirotoありがとうございます。よろしくお願いします。Arigatou gozaimasu. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.Thank you. I appreciate your patience.
