ちょっと

Japanese edit

Alternative spellings
一寸 (uncommon) 鳥渡 (rare)

Alternative forms edit

(adverb) ちょいと (choito), ちょい (choi), ちっと (chitto)
(interjection): (shortening, informal) ちょっ (cho'), ちょ (cho)

Etymology edit

From ちっと (chitto), itself a geminated emphatic form of ちと (chito), originally composed of ち (chi, “small”, not used in isolation; cognate with the chi in 小さい chīsai) + と (to, adverbial particle).^[1]^[2]

Pronunciation edit

(Tokyo) ちょっと [chóꜜttò] (Atamadaka – [1])^[2]
(Tokyo) ちょっと [chòttó] (Heiban – [0])^[2]
IPA^(key): [t͡ɕo̞t̚to̞]

Adverb edit

ちょっと or チョット or チョッと • (chotto)

slightly, a little, a bit, somewhat
Synonyms: 少し (sukoshi), 少々 (shōshō)

ちょっと待(ま)ってね。
Chotto matte ne.
Hold on, OK?
(literally, “Wait a bit, OK?”)

ちょっと無理(むり)
chotto muri
not possible
(literally, “somewhat impossible”)

ちょっといい？
Chotto ii?
Do you have some time? / We need to talk.
an indirect expression of refusal
「お茶(ちゃ)とか飲(の)みましょう。」「ちょっと……」
“Ocha toka nomimashō.”“chotto……”
"Let's go have tea or something." "well..."

Usage notes edit

Used to say that something is inconvenient for you when being invited to do something.

Interjection edit

ちょっと or チョット or チョッと • (chotto)

hey, excuse me
ちょっと、聞(き)いて良(い)いですか。
Chotto, kiite ii desu ka.
Excuse me, may I ask you something?

References edit

^ Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[KDJ-1] Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN

[DJR-2] 2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[1]

[2]