How to Say ‘Sorry to keep you waiting.’ in Japanese
お待たせしました。
o mata se shi mashi ta
[oh mah-tah seh shee mah-shee tah]
🇯🇵 In Japan: People say this even after a short wait, whether staff are bringing your order or a friend is returning to the table. It's a polite reflex rather than a real apology.
Phrase Breakdown
お
o
[oh]
honorific prefix
お adds politeness to certain words and expressions.
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.
長く待たせてすみません。
Sorry for making you wait a long time.
せ
se
[seh]
causative marker (part)
Part of the causative ending (〜せる) meaning “let/make (someone) do.”
きょうは家で休ませます。
Today, I will let them rest at home.
し
shi
[shee]
do
し is the stem of する, meaning to do.
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.
昨日は多くのことを学びました。
I learned many things yesterday.
た
ta
[tah]
past tense ending
This ending completes the polite past tense form.
空席がございまし た。
There were vacant seats.
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