ちょっと

• 読み: ちょっと
• ローマ字: chotto
• 発音: /tɕot.to/

意味

A little; a bit; slightly. Also used to get attention or soften refusals.

An extremely versatile casual adverb. Beyond meaning 'a little,' it serves as a polite way to decline (ちょっと... with trailing off), to call someone (ちょっと!), or to downplay something. More casual than 少し.

例文

1. ちょっと待ってください。
2. 明日はちょっと忙しいです。
3. ちょっとお願いがあるんですが。

使い方ガイド

場面: daily life, requests, refusals

トーン: casual

起源と歴史

Originally written as 一寸, using the kanji for 'one' and 'sun' (a unit of measurement), referring to a very small distance. The hiragana form became standard in modern usage.

文化的背景

時代: Early Modern

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Universal