1.
wait a moment, hold on, just a second
A casual request for someone to wait briefly. One of the most common everyday phrases, used to ask for a short pause in conversation or action.
ちょっとまって is the te-form of ちょっと待つ (to wait a bit). Te-form requests are casual — the て ending implies "please" without actually saying ください.
Formality scale
- ちょっとまって: casual (friends, family)
- ちょっと待ってください: polite
- 少々お待ちください: formal/business
- ちょっとまってて: casual, asking someone to keep waiting (te-form + いて)
Common variations
- ちょっとまって: standard
- ちょっとまってね: softer, reassuring
- ちょっとまった: calling someone to stop (imperative-like past form)
- まって！: urgent, abbreviated
Usage
While ちょっとまって literally asks the listener to wait, it is also used as a filler when the speaker needs a moment to think, similar to English "hold on" or "hang on."