How to Say ‘Please wait.’ in Japanese
お待ちください
o machi kudasai
[oh mah-chee koo-dah-sigh]
💬 Usage Tip: お待ちください is a polite request form meaning "please wait." The お helps make it sound more courteous, which is why it's common in restaurants and shops.
Phrase Breakdown
お
o
[oh]
honorific/polite prefix
A polite prefix that makes the expression sound more respectful.
ていねいに言うために、おをつけます。
To say it politely, you add o.
待ち
machi
[mah-chee]
waiting
Noun/stem from 待つ, used in polite requests to wait.
ここでお待ちください。
Please wait here.
ください
kudasai
[koo-dah-sigh]
please do
A polite request expression added after the te-form of a verb.
確認してください。
Please confirm it.
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