How to Say ‘Waiting’ in Japanese
お待ち
o machi
[oh mah-chee]
💬 Usage Tip: The [お] in [お待ち] makes the word more polite, which is common in service speech. You'll hear the same pattern in words like [お名前] and [お時間].
Phrase Breakdown
お
o
[oh]
honorific prefix
A polite prefix added to make an expression sound more respectful, common in customer service.
お待ちくださいませ。
Please wait.
待ち
machi
[mah-chee]
waiting
From the verb 'to wait.' In service language, it appears in polite set phrases like 'お待ちしております.'
入口でお待ちください。
Please wait at the entrance.
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