Languages › Japanese What Does Matte Mean in Japanese? Share Flipboard Email Print freemixer / E+ / Getty Images Japanese Essential Japanese Vocabulary History & Culture Japanese Grammar By Namiko Abe Japanese Language Expert B.A., Kwansei Gakuin University Namiko Abe is a Japanese language teacher and translator, as well as a Japanese calligraphy expert. She has been a freelance writer for nearly 20 years. our editorial process Namiko Abe Updated October 07, 2019 Wait is a word we often yell to catch someone who might be leaving a room or building, or if we are running to catch a bus or train. The way you say "wait" in Japanese is Matte. The more formal form of the word is "Chotto matte kudasai." Chotto means "a small amount/degree," and kudasai means "please." This phrase can be used in many different ways where it's appropriate to say "wait a moment." For example, a shop keeper speaking to a customer in a more relaxed tone.A much more formal way to say "wait a moment" is Shou-shou o-machi kudasai. Pronunciation of Matte: Listen to the audio file for "Matte." Japanese Characters for Matte 待って。（まって。） More Request/Command Words and Phrases: Previous phrase Next phrase Request/Command Archive Source "Japanese (language): What does 'chotto matte' mean and how is it used?" Quora, September 2015. Cite this Article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation Abe, Namiko. "What Does Matte Mean in Japanese?" ThoughtCo, Aug. 28, 2020, thoughtco.com/matte-simple-japanese-phrases-2028395. Abe, Namiko. (2020, August 28). What Does Matte Mean in Japanese? Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/matte-simple-japanese-phrases-2028395 Abe, Namiko. "What Does Matte Mean in Japanese?" ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/matte-simple-japanese-phrases-2028395 (accessed April 20, 2021). copy citation