What Does Chotto Mean in Japanese?

Some frequently used words convey different meanings according to context, and among them, the Japanese word chotto 「ちょっと」is quite a challenge to master. If you are learning Japanese, you have probably heard this word before. But what is the meaning of chotto? How and when should you use it?

教師：新（あたら）しいうち、見（み）つかった？
学生：いいえ、まだです。昨日（きのう）見（み）に行ったけど、家賃（やちん）が９万円だった。
教師：ああ、そうか。それはちょっと高（たか）いね。
学生：いいえ、ちょっとじゃないです。すごく高（たか）いです。

Teacher: Have you found your new flat?
Student: No, not yet. I went to see one yesterday but the rent was 90,000 yen.
Teacher: Is that so? That’s “a bit” expensive indeed.
Student: No, not “a bit”. It’s “very” expensive.

What Does “Chotto” Mean in Japanese?

More than once, Japanese language learners misunderstand the meaning of chotto in such context. Indeed, the first meaning you will learn for chotto, is “minor”, “little”.

However, in that particular conversation, the meaning is the same as “very”. In this conversation, the perfect answer would have been “hai chotto” 「はい！ちょっと！」which is translated as “yes, indeed!”.

So depending on the context, chotto may mean “a little”:

• 「ちょっとだけ日本語（にほんご）が話（はな）せる」 I speak Japanese a little.

Or may mean the complete opposite: fairly, rather, very. One rule to remember for sure, chotto used together with the negative form at the back always means “very”.

• 何度（なんど）も裏切（うらぎ）られてきたから、彼（かれ）のことは、もうちょっと信（しん）じられない。
  I have been betrayed by him many times, so he is very untrustworthy.
• 昨日（きのう）の暑（あつ）さは、ちょっとひどくなかった？
  Wasn’t yesterday very hot?

Let’s review some of the common meanings of the Japanese word chotto in order to use it properly!

“Chotto” Can Mean: “a while”, “a moment”, “a short time” and “briefly”

• 「ちょっとの間（あいだ）に」In a jiffy
• 「ちょっと待（ま）ってくれ」Wait a minute [moment]!
• 「ちょっと聞（き）いていいですか」 Could I ask you a quick question?

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