ちょっと
Japanese
| Kana | ちょっと チョット チョッと | |
|---|---|---|
| Kanji | 一寸 鳥渡 | |
| Notes | 一寸 – rare, jukujikun 鳥渡 – rare, ateji | |
Alternative forms
- (adverb) ちょいと (choito)
- (interjection, shortening) ちょっ (cho')
Etymology
From ちっと (chitto), itself a geminated emphatic form of Old Japanese 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
- (Tokyo) ちょっと [chóꜜttò] (Atamadaka – [1])[2]
- (Tokyo) ちょっと [chòttó] (Heiban – [0])[2]
- IPA(key): [t͡ɕo̞t̚to̞]
Adverb
ちょっと (rōmaji chotto)
- slightly, a little, a bit, somewhat
- an indirect expression of refusal
Usage notes
- Used to say that something is inconvenient for you when being invited to do something.
Synonyms
- (a little): 少し (sukoshi)
Interjection
ちょっと (rōmaji chotto)
- hey, excuse me
References
- 1988, 国語大辞典（新装版） (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan
- 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN