待つ
まつ
hepburn matsu
to wait
Part of speech · godan-verb
Pattern visualization
Examples
- バスを待っています。I am waiting for the bus.
- ちょっと待ってください。Please wait a moment.
Collocations
~を待つちょっと待って (wait a sec)待ってください (please wait)待ち合わせ (meet-up appointment)待たせる (make wait, causative)
Mnemonic
まつ — 待つ, Yamato. A godan -tsu verb (a rare ending). The kanji 待 is 彳 (a step) + 寺 (temple, staying) = 'to halt one's steps and stay' = to wait. The te-form is 待って ── the godan rule that turns -tsu into -tte. The line you hear most in daily life ── ちょっと待って (wait a sec). 待ち合わせ machiawase (待つ + 合わせる = matching one's waiting = a meet-up) ── the word for that scene of waiting for a friend outside Shibuya or Shinjuku station. In Japanese cityscapes, the 'machiawase spot' in front of a 駅 is an almost ritual space. The Korean reading dae is sister to the onyomi たい ── 期待 kitai (expectation).
Quick check
What is the te-form of 待つ?