How to Say ‘Thank you for waiting.’ in Japanese
お待たせいたしました。
o mata se itashi mashi ta
[oh MAH-tah seh itashi mah-shee tah]
🇯🇵 In Japan: Staff say this the moment they come back to the line, even after a short wait. It's a set courtesy phrase, so no reply is needed beyond はい.
Phrase Breakdown
お
o
[oh]
honorific/polite prefix
A polite prefix that makes a word sound more refined or respectful.
おすすめのおは、ことばを丁寧にします。
The o in osusume makes the word more polite.
待た
mata
[MAH-tah]
wait (stem)
Stem of 待つ (to wait) used before the causative ending.
友達を待たせました。
I kept my friend waiting.
せ
se
[seh]
make/let (causative)
Causative ending: to have someone do something.
子どもを休ませます。
I'll keep my child home.
いたし
itashi
[itashi]
do (humble)
Humble form of 'to do'.
すぐにいたします。
I'll do it immediately.
まし
mashi
[mah-shee]
polite past marker (part of ました)
「まし」 is part of 「ました」, the polite past tense. It makes the question polite (common in medical settings).
さっきはきましたか。
Did you vomit a moment ago?
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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