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How to Say ‘Sorry for the wait, here we are.’ in Japanese

お待たせしました、こちらです。

o mata se shi mashi ta kochira desu

[oh mah-tah seh shee mah-shee tah koh-chee-rah dess]

🇯🇵 In Japan: お待たせしました is said by staff after any wait, even a short one. It's routine politeness, not a real apology.

Phrase Breakdown

お待たせしました、

o mata se shi mashi ta

Sorry to have kept you waiting

A polite phrase staff use when they finally serve you. Pronounce it o-ma-ta-se-shi-ma-shi-ta. The 'i' in 'shi' is often almost silent.

Example

お待たせしました、ご注文のコーヒーです。

Sorry to keep you waiting, here is the coffee you ordered.

Words in this phrase

お

[oh]

honorific prefix

お adds politeness to certain words and expressions.

Example

チケットを二枚お願いします。

Two tickets, please.

待た

mata

[mah-tah]

kept waiting

Part of 待たせる, meaning to make someone wait.

Example

長く待たせてすみません。

Sorry for making you wait a long time.

せ

[seh]

causative marker (part)

Part of the causative ending (〜せる) meaning “let/make (someone) do.”

Example

きょうは家で休ませます。

Today, I will let them rest at home.

し

shi

[shee]

し is the stem of する, meaning to do.

Example

予約しします。

I do the reservation.

まし

mashi

[mah-shee]

polite past stem

Part of the polite past ending in a verb phrase.

Example

昨日は多くのことを学びました。

I learned many things yesterday.

た

[tah]

past tense ending

This ending completes the polite past tense form.

Example

空席がございました。

There were vacant seats.

こちらです。

kochira desu

Here it is / This way

'Kochira' is a polite word for 'this' or 'here', and 'desu' makes it polite. Say 'desu' like 'dess'.

Example

お席はこちらです。

Your seat is this way.

Words in this phrase

こちら

kochira

[koh-chee-rah]

this; this one; here

A polite demonstrative used when presenting something nearby.

Example

在留カードはこちらです。

Here is the residence card.

です

desu

[dess]

is; am; are

A basic polite copula used to say 'is/am/are.'

Example

田中です。

I am Tanaka.

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