待って！
Matte!
In Japanese, 'wait up!' is expressed as 待って！ (Matte!)
The phrase is an exclamation used to tell someone to stop or slow down so that you can catch up to them.
Which one should you use?
待って is an informal way to say 'wait' and is used with friends, family or people of lower social status. In contrast, 待ってください！ is used in formal settings.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
待って！ is an informal way to say 'wait'. To make the request polite and suitable for strangers or superiors, add 'kudasai' to the end to form 待ってください！
Is it said differently in some regions?
The variation ちょっと待ってね is often heard in the Tokyo area.
How do you pronounce it?
Matte!
Did you know?
- In a polite business setting, simply saying 待ってください can sometimes be too direct. Professionals often use 少々お待ちください (shoushou omachi kudasai), which uses a special honorific verb form called 'keigo'.
- While 待って is a command to wait, if you say it with a rising intonation like a question, it can function as 'Are you waiting?' or 'Wait, what?', changing the entire intent of the interaction.
- If you are in a rush and need someone to stop immediately, you might hear 待て (mate). This is the imperative form and can sound like a command given to a dog or a soldier, making it too aggressive for most social situations.
Examples in context
- 待って！置いていかないで。Matte! Oite ikanaide.Wait up! Don't leave me behind.
- あ、待って！忘れ物だよ。A, matte! Wasuremono dayo.Ah, wait up! You forgot something.
- ちょっと待って！足が痛いんだ。Chotto matte! Ashi ga itainda.Wait up a second! My legs hurt.
Example conversation
Yui is walking ahead of Hiroto at a train station.
- 大翔 Hiroto結衣、待って！Yui, matte!Yui, wait up!
- 結衣 Yuiどうしたの、大翔？Doushita no, Hiroto?What's wrong, Hiroto?
- 大翔 Hiroto歩くのが早すぎるよ。Aruku no ga hayasugiru yo.You're walking too fast.
- 結衣 Yuiあはは、ごめんね。Ahaha, gomen ne.Haha, sorry about that.
