Chotto Matte Kudasai Meaning: How to Say “Please Wait” in Japanese

Someone starts walking away while you are still getting ready. A classmate moves on before you have finished writing. A friend is about to leave without you.

In each of these moments, one short phrase asks the other person to pause:

For an early beginner, learn the whole phrase as a practical way to ask someone to pause briefly.

The short answer

Imagine your friend is ready to leave, but you still need a few seconds. The same phrase is all you need. You can use it when someone needs to stop or wait briefly so that you can catch up, finish something, check something, or respond. For example:

• You are still putting something in your bag.
• You are looking for something.
• Someone is speaking and you need a moment before continuing.

In each case, the same ちょっとまってください (chotto matte kudasai) works. The situation supplies the reason. You do not need to explain everything before asking for a brief pause.

What does ちょっと mean here?

ちょっと (chotto) often expresses the idea of “a little” or “a bit.” In this phrase, it helps create the sense of “a moment” or “a little while.”

So ちょっとまってください (chotto matte kudasai) is naturally useful as “Please wait a moment.”

You do not need to translate each part mechanically every time you use it. Learn the complete phrase as something you can retrieve quickly when you need someone to pause.

What does まってください mean?

The central request is まってください on its own:

It comes from the verb まちます (machimasu), “to wait.” Before ください (kudasai), まちます changes to まって (matte), the form used with ください to make a polite request.

You may already know ください from これをください (kore o kudasai), “This one, please,” where it asks for a thing. In まってください, it asks someone to do something for you.

You do not need to master that whole verb pattern before using this phrase. For now, remember まってください (matte kudasai), “Please wait,” and the very useful everyday version:

Use it when you need a brief pause

Imagine you are in Japanese class. The teacher moves to the next page while you are still writing. You can open politely and then ask for the pause:

Or you are travelling with someone and need to check your phone. Your companion suggests leaving with いきましょう (ikimashou):

1. AいきましょうIkimashou.Let’s go.
2. BちょっとまってくださいChotto matte kudasai.Please wait a moment.

You check the information, then continue. The phrase does not tell the other person exactly how long the wait will be. It simply asks for a short pause.

Add すみません when you need someone’s attention

If you need to interrupt someone politely, begin with すみません (sumimasen), then make the request. On its own, すみません gets attention:

Put together, the two lines become one polite interruption:

This is especially useful when the other person is already doing something and you need to stop them briefly.

ちょっとまってください does not mean “say that again”

Suppose someone says something in Japanese and you did not hear it. If you want them to repeat what they said, use もういちどおねがいします (mou ichido onegaishimasu):

If you need them to wait while you think, write, check something, or catch up, use ちょっとまってください instead.

Compare the two situations side by side. When you did not hear the sentence:

When you heard it, but need a moment before continuing:

These solve different communication problems.

It also does not mean “I don’t understand”

If the problem is comprehension, say わかりません (wakarimasen):

If the problem is that you simply need more time, ちょっとまってください is still the right request.

You can also start with すみません (sumimasen) when you do not understand:

That asks for help with understanding. By contrast, this asks the other person to pause:

Be careful with ちょっとまって

You may also encounter a shorter version:

This shorter version leaves off ください (kudasai) and is more casual. You may hear it between friends or in other casual situations.

But if you are a beginner and want a straightforward polite request, keep ちょっとまってください (chotto matte kudasai). Compare:

1. ちょっとまってChotto matte.Wait a second. (casual)
2. ちょっとまってくださいChotto matte kudasai.Please wait a moment. (polite)

Do not assume the shorter version is simply a faster pronunciation of the longer one. It is a different level of politeness.

“Wait” is not always “stop”

“Wait” and “stop” can overlap in some English situations, but ちょっとまってください (chotto matte kudasai) specifically asks someone to wait.

Imagine your friend is leaving before you are ready. ちょっとまってください works because you want them to pause for you.

But do not learn まってください (matte kudasai) as a general translation for every English sentence containing “stop.” Its core meaning here is wait.

A short real-life exchange

You and a friend are about to leave a café. Your friend suggests going, you ask for a moment, and they agree:

1. AいきましょうIkimashou.Let’s go.
2. BちょっとまってくださいChotto matte kudasai.Please wait a moment.
3. AはいHai.Okay.

You check your bag, then reply that everything is fine:

Here だいじょうぶです (daijoubu desu) means “It’s fine” or “I’m okay”: you have checked, and you are ready to go.

The important part is that you could interrupt the movement with one reusable phrase: ちょっとまってください (chotto matte kudasai).

Practise ちょっとまってください

Choose the right phrase

1. You want to hear it again

Someone spoke too quickly for you to catch what they said, and you want to hear it again.

A. ちょっとまってください。 (Chotto matte kudasai.)　B. もういちどおねがいします。 (Mou ichido onegaishimasu.)

Answer: B.

2. You need a moment to write

You understood someone, but you need a moment to write something down.

A. ちょっとまってください。 (Chotto matte kudasai.)　B. わかりません。 (Wakarimasen.)

Answer: A.

3. You do not understand

You do not understand what someone means.

A. わかりません。 (Wakarimasen.)　B. ちょっとまってください。 (Chotto matte kudasai.)

Answer: A.

4. Your friend is leaving

Your friend is leaving while you are still getting ready.

A. ちょっとまってください。 (Chotto matte kudasai.)　B. ありがとうございます。 (Arigatou gozaimasu.)

Answer: A.

ありがとうございます (arigatou gozaimasu) means “Thank you,” so it does not ask your friend to wait.

Say it quickly

Build the phrase up in three steps. Start with the core request:

Now add ちょっと, “a moment”:

Put them together:

Finally, add an opening for when you need to interrupt:

As you say it, give the small っ in ちょっと (chotto) and まって (matte) its own short beat.

Practise the full phrase until you can retrieve it without constructing it word by word.

That is what makes it useful in a real interaction: when someone moves on before you are ready, you already know what to say.

Keep this in mind

ちょっとまってください asks someone to pause for a moment while you catch up, check something or think. Start with すみません to interrupt politely. Use もういちどおねがいします when you need to hear something again, わかりません when you do not understand, and keep the casual ちょっとまって for friends.

Continue learning

If you missed what someone said rather than needing more time, use How to Ask Someone to Say It Again in Japanese: もういちどおねがいします.

If the problem is understanding, continue with How to Say “I Don’t Understand” in Japanese: わかりません.

To get someone’s attention before making the request, review すみません (Sumimasen): How to Say “Excuse Me” in Japanese.