Just a moment：”chotto matte”Japanese Phrase #302

Yuka

ちょっと待って is one of the most useful phrases you’ll use every single day in Japanese. Let’s learn all its forms — from super casual to very polite!

Breaking Down the Phrase

ちょっと (chotto) means “a little” or “just a moment.” It softens requests and makes them sound less demanding. 待って (matte) is the te-form of 待つ (matsu, to wait) — used as a command or request:

• ちょっと待って！ — Wait a sec! (friend calling out)
• ちょっと待ってください。 — Please wait a moment. (polite, any situation)
• 少々お待ちください。 — Please hold / Please wait. (customer service, very formal)

When to Use Each Form

With friends and family:

• ちょっと待って！鍵忘れた。 — Wait! I forgot my keys.
• ちょっと待ってて。 — Just wait a moment (I’ll be right back).
• 待って待って！それ聞いてない。 — Wait wait wait! I didn’t hear that.

In polite situations (teacher, coworker, stranger):

• すみません、ちょっと待ってください。 — Excuse me, please wait a moment.
• 少しお時間をいただけますか？ — Could I have a moment of your time?

On the phone or in service settings:

• 少々お待ちください。 — Please hold. / One moment please.
• ただ今確認いたします。少々お待ちください。 — I’ll check right now. Please hold.

Rei

What’s the difference between 待って and 待ってください?

Yuka

待って alone is a raw te-form used as a casual command — fine with friends. Adding ください makes it a proper polite request. Always use ください with people you don’t know well.

Rei

And 少々お待ちください? That sounds very formal!

Yuka

It is! 少々 (shoushou) means “a short while,” and the whole phrase is keigo (respectful language) used in shops, hotels, and customer service. You’d hear it constantly if you work in Japan.

Common Mistakes

Mistake 1: Saying ちょっと待って to a boss or customer. This sounds too casual — use ちょっと待ってください at minimum, or 少々お待ちください in service contexts.

Mistake 2: Confusing 待って (wait) with 持って (motte, to hold/carry). The kanji are different: 待 (wait) vs 持 (hold). In hiragana they look identical — listen for context.

Quick Quiz

Q1: You’re texting a friend and need them to hold on. What do you send?

Answer: ちょっと待ってて！ — Just hang on a sec!

—

Q2: A customer calls your office and you need to put them on hold. What do you say?

Answer: 少々お待ちください。 — Please hold a moment.

—

Want to practice natural Japanese in everyday and business settings? Find a tutor on italki!

💬 Want to practice these phrases with a real person? Find a Japanese conversation partner or tutor on italki — speaking practice you can start today.

Related Articles

あわせて読みたい

誰 vs どなた: Who (Casual) vs Who (Polite) in Japanese Japanese has two words for “who” — 誰 and どなた — and choosing the right one is all about formality. Let’s sort them out! WordReadingRegis...

あわせて読みたい

Let’s get started.：”dewa hajime mashō” Japanese Phrase #292 Whether you’re opening a meeting, starting a class, or kicking off an event — では始めましょう is the phrase you need! JapaneseReadingMeaningでは始めま...