お待たせ

• Reading: おまたせ
• Romaji: omatase
• Kanji breakdown: 待 (wait) — お is honorific prefix. Short for お待たせしました (I made you wait)
• Pronunciation: /o.ma.ta.se/

Meaning

A casual way to say 'sorry for the wait' or 'thanks for waiting' — used when arriving late or keeping someone waiting.

お待たせ is the casual form of お待たせしました (omatase shimashita). It is one of those essential social lubricant phrases in Japanese that smooths over the minor friction of making someone wait. It is used when arriving at a meetup, delivering something requested, or even returning to an online conversation after being away. The phrase is so automatic that Japanese people say it even when the wait was trivially short.

Examples

1. お待たせ！道混んでて遅くなった。 Sorry for the wait! Traffic was crazy.
2. お待たせ、やっとチケット取れたよ。 Thanks for waiting — I finally got the tickets.
3. お待たせ〜、注文しよう！ Sorry for the wait~ let's order!

Usage Guide

Context: meeting friends, arriving late, delivering something, returning to chat

Tone: apologetic, light

Do Say

• お待たせ、ごめんね！ (Sorry for the wait!)
• お待たせ、準備できたよ (Thanks for waiting, I'm ready)

Don't Say

• お客様に「お待たせ」だけでは不十分 — 「お待たせいたしました」を使う (Just お待たせ is insufficient for customers — use お待たせいたしました)

Common Mistakes

• Not saying お待たせ when meeting someone — even if you are on time, it shows consideration
• Using the casual form with clients or superiors — use お待たせしました or お待たせいたしました

Origin & History

Casual form of お待たせしました, from 待つ (to wait) with the causative form (made you wait) and honorific お. Deeply embedded in Japanese service culture where acknowledging any inconvenience to others is essential.

Cultural Context

Era: Long-standing social phrase

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Regional notes: Used nationwide. Service staff always use the polite form. Among friends, お待たせ alone is perfectly natural.