How to Say ‘Fifteen days is a bit...’ in Japanese
十五日はちょっと…。
juu go nichi wa chotto
[JOO goh NEE-chee wah CHOHT-toh]
🇯🇵 In Japan: Trailing off after ちょっと "a little" is a polite "no". The refusal is understood without being said, so don't push for a clearer answer.
Phrase Breakdown
十五日は
juu go nichi wa
fifteen days is
十五日 (juugonichi) means 'fifteen days'. は (wa) marks the topic.
十五日は長いです。
Fifteen days is long.
Words in this phrase
十
juu
[JOO]
ten
The number 10; used for counting items or minutes in the kitchen.
玉ねぎを十個切ってください。
Please cut ten onions.
五
go
[goh]
five
The number 5; combines with 時 to make five o'clock.
五人で話しました。
Five people talked.
日
nichi
[NEE-chee]
days (counter)
Counter for number of days; 何日 asks 'how many days'.
何日休みますか。
How many days will you rest?
は
wa
[wah]
topic marker
は marks the topic of the sentence.
空席はありますか。
Are there any seats available?
ちょっと…。
chotto
a bit (difficult)…
ちょっと (chotto) literally means 'a little'. Trailing off after it is a polite, indirect way to say no. Pause on the small っ.
明日はちょっと…。
Tomorrow is a bit (difficult)…
Words in this phrase
ちょっと
chotto
[CHOHT-toh]
a bit difficult (polite refusal)
Said trailing off to softly decline something without saying no directly.
今日はちょっと…。
Today is a bit... (not good).
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