ちょっと待って
chotto matte
The English phrase "wait a minute" is translated into Japanese as ちょっと待って (chotto matte).
Meaning: Translations (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of ちょっと, which means "a little" or "a moment" and 待って, which is the te-form of the verb "to wait". Literally, it means "wait a little".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
ちょっと待って and its variant ちょっとまって are informal ways to say "wait a minute" and are used with friends, family or people of equal or lower status. For a polite request suitable for strangers or superiors, use ちょっと待って下さい. For a more formal expression meaning "please wait", use 少々お待ちください.
How does it change in a sentence?
Adding the sentence-ending particle よ to the end of the phrase, as in ちょっと待ってよ, adds emphasis or a sense of protest or exclamation.
How do you pronounce it?
chotto matte
Did you know?
- The word ちょっと is often used as a 'softener' to avoid saying 'no'. If someone asks for a favor and the speaker says ちょっと… and trails off, it is a polite way of saying they cannot do it.
- In Japanese media, if a character is being interrupted, they might use the phrase ちょっと! with a rising intonation to express shock or indignation, similar to 'Hey!' in English.
- The word ちょっと shares a root with the word for 'a piece' or 'a bit', reflecting a linguistic habit in Japanese of quantifying abstract concepts like time using physical measurements.
Examples in context
- ちょっと待って。Wait a minute.Tatoeba #1064324 by bunbuku, translation #697243 by rpglover64
- ちょっと待ってよ！Hey, wait a minute!Tatoeba #12461971 by small_snow, translation #12105698 by ddnktr
- ちょっと待って下さい。Please wait a minute.Tatoeba #202733 by bunbuku, translation #1939683 by linguine
- ちょっと待ってください。Please wait a moment.
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ren is about to leave the house, but Himari needs to give him something.
- 蓮 Renもう行かないと。mou ikanaito.I have to go now.
- 陽葵 Himariちょっと待って、これ。chotto matte, kore.Wait a minute, take this.
- 蓮 Renあ、ありがとう。a, arigatou.Oh, thanks.
- 陽葵 Himari気をつけてね。ki o tsukete ne.Take care.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
