Japanese word

待ち

Pronunciation

Romajimachi

Meaning

  • nounwait

Example

今日は待ちが長いです。kyō wa ma chi ga naga i de su

The wait is long today.

Illustration for 待ち (wait)

More examples

人気の店ですが、昼過ぎなら待ちが少ないです。nin ki no mise de su ga hiru su gi na ra ma chi ga suku na i de su

It is a popular restaurant, but the wait is short after lunch.

Core concept

It centers on the stretch of time spent before a person or event arrives or an action can begin.

Common phrases

  • 待ちが長いma chi ga naga i

    a long wait

  • 待ちが少ないma chi ga suku na i

    a short wait

  • 待ちを減らすma chi o he ra su

    reduce the wait

Similar words

待機taiki: The state of remaining ready until a person, signal, or event arrives.
順番待ちjunbanmachi: The period spent waiting for a turn in a line or process.

Definition in Japanese

人や物事を待っている時間。hito ya mono goto o ma tte i ru ji kan

Word origin

The noun 待ち (machi) comes from the continuative stem of 待つ (matsu, "to wait").

Usage tips

  • In everyday conversation, 待ち (machi) can describe the delay before service, a train, or an appointment, so a long 待ち points to time spent waiting rather than distance or movement.

Other meanings

  • waiting timenoun

Word lists with this word