How to Say ‘Do you have a moment?’ in Japanese
ちょっといいですか。
chotto ii desu ka
[choht-toh ee deh-soo kah]
💬 Usage Tip: ちょっと literally means "a little", so this is really "Is a little okay?". That softening ちょっと shows up in lots of polite requests.
Phrase Breakdown
ちょっと
chotto
[choht-toh]
a little; a bit
A very common adverb meaning “a little” or “a bit,” often used to soften statements.
ちょっと静かな場所がいいです。
A slightly quieter place would be nice.
いい
ii
[ee]
good; okay
A common word for something being good, fine, or acceptable.
その形でいいです。
That shape is fine.
です
desu
[deh-soo]
is; polite copula
です makes a sentence polite and neutral. With a place + は + noun, it states/asks what something is or where it is.
ここは地下鉄の駅です。
This is the subway station.
か
ka
[kah]
question particle
「か」で依頼を質問の形にします。語尾を上げると自然です。
手順を説明してもらえますか。
Could you explain the procedure?
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