ちょっと

Pattern visualization

Examples

1. ちょっと待ってください。▶ —
   Please wait a moment.
2. ちょっと寒いです。▶ —
   It is a little cold.

Collocations

Mnemonic

ちょっと chotto — the core lubricant that rolls Japanese conversation smooth, its sense forking into four. As degree it is "a little" — ちょっと寒い; as time, "a moment" — ちょっと待って; as a summons, "excuse me" — ちょっと、すみません; and as refusal, "that's a bit…". "Sore wa chotto…" hands over a softened refusal by letting the sentence trail off instead of a plain no, and the grain of Japan's conflict-avoiding speech is held whole inside this one word.

Quick check

1. What does "sore wa chotto…" usually mean?

   • Soft refusal — implied no via trailing pause instead of explicit denial
   • A bit interesting
   • Wait a moment
   • A little more please