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

Adverb

ちょっと (rōmaji chotto)

  1. slightly, a little, a bit, somewhat
  2. an indirect expression of refusal

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

Synonyms

Interjection

ちょっと (rōmaji chotto)

  1. hey, excuse me

References
  1. 1988, 国語大辞典（新装版） (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan
  2. 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
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