少々お待ちください
shoushou omachi kudasai
In Japanese, "please wait" is expressed as 少々お待ちください (shoushou omachi kudasai).
This phrase is a polite request for someone to stay where they are or hold for a short time. You can prefix your request with すみません to add further politeness and soften the tone.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 少々 (shoushou), meaning 'a little bit' and お待ちください (omachi kudasai), which is a polite way to say 'please wait'.
Which one should you use?
To convey a sense of apology along with the request to wait, you can use お待たせしております.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The default form 少々お待ちください is highly polite and suitable for business, customer service or speaking to superiors. For a more relaxed and colloquial approach, you can use 少し待ってて to informally ask someone to wait for a little while longer.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses an honorific pattern where the prefix お is attached to the verb stem followed by ください to express a polite request. In the phrase お待ちください, the お serves as an honorific prefix that adds politeness.
How do you pronounce it?
shoushou omachi kudasai
Did you know?
- In very formal business settings, instead of using 'wait', staff may use the verb お待ちいただく, which literally translates to 'to have the favor of receiving your waiting'.
- The honorific お in お待ちください is an example of 'beautification' (bikago). This linguistic habit attaches お to words to make the conversation sound more elegant and refined, regardless of whether the action is actually being performed by a superior.
- In Japanese customer service, you may hear 少々お待ちください even when the staff member knows the wait will be several minutes. In this context, 少々 functions as a social lubricant to minimize the perceived burden on the customer rather than a precise measurement of time.
Examples in context
- お待ちください、ちょっと確認いたします。Please wait, I will check it quickly.
- お待たせしております。只いま準備しておりますので、もう少々お待ちください。I apologize for the delay. We are currently preparing, so please wait a little longer.
- ちょっと待ってください、すぐ戻ります。Please wait a moment, I'll be right back.
- 少し待ってて、まもなく終わりますよ。Just wait a bit longer, it will be over soon.
- 少々お待ちください。Shōshō omachi kudasai.Please wait a moment.
- 確認しますので、少々お待ちください。Kakunin shimasu node, shōshō omachi kudasai.I will check, so please wait a moment.
- 名前を確認するまで、少々お待ちください。Namae o kakunin suru made, shōshō omachi kudasai.Please wait a moment until I confirm the name.
Example conversation
Misaki is helping Kenta at a reception desk.
- 健太 Kenta予約している健太ですが。yoyaku shite iru Kenta desu ga.I have a reservation, I'm Kenta.
- 美咲 Misakiはい。少々お待ちください。hai. shōshō omachi kudasai.Yes. Please wait a moment.
- 健太 Kentaわかりました。wakarimashita.I understand.
- 美咲 Misakiお待たせいたしました。omatase itashimashita.Thank you for waiting.
