How to Say ‘Please wait a moment.’ in Japanese
少しお待ちください。
sukoshi o machi kudasai
[soo-koh-shee oh mah-chee koo-dah-sigh]
💬 Usage Tip: This is a super common polite set phrase. [少し] softens it to "just a moment," even if the moment becomes... flexible.
🇯🇵 In Japan: Waiting your turn quietly is expected in Japanese offices. Number tickets and orderly lines are common.
Phrase Breakdown
少し
sukoshi
[soo-koh-shee]
a little; a moment
Used to ask for a short amount of time.
少しお待ちください。
Please wait a moment.
お待ちください
o machi kudasai
please wait
Polite request form of 待つ, commonly used in service situations.
こちらでお待ちください。
Please wait here.
Words in this phrase
お
o
[oh]
honorific prefix
Adds politeness to the following word.
少しお待ちください。
Please wait a moment.
待ち
machi
[mah-chee]
waiting
From 待つ, used in polite expressions meaning wait.
少しお待ちください。
Please wait a moment.
ください
kudasai
[koo-dah-sigh]
please
Makes a polite request.
少しお待ちください。
Please wait a moment.
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