What does “omatase” mean in Japanese?
Native speakers say “omatase” to mean ‘sorry to have kept you waiting’, ‘thank you for waiting’, or such in Japanese. Perhaps, some Japanese learners know this phrase as it is sometimes used in Japanese conversations. In this blog post, however, I will explain it in detail based on its original expression. And also, I will explain how to use it through an example sentence. My explanations would help Japanese learners to understand “omatase” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!
Contents
Definition and meanings of “omatase”
Let me start with the definition and meanings of “omatase”.
- omatase – お待たせ (おまたせ) : a phrase meaning ‘sorry to have kept you waiting’, ‘thank you for waiting’, or such in Japanese.
Native speakers use this phrase to express their apology or appreciation to someone who has been waiting for them. So, the usage of this phrase is similar to those of the English ones above, I think.
The definition and meanings are not that difficult. To understand this phrase more clearly, however, let me explain its original expression.
Origin of “omatase”
“Omatase” is the shortened version of “omataseshimashita”. Let me explain the grammatical components of this longer and official version as follows.
- o – お : a prefix used to make its following word polite.
- matase – 待たせ (またせ) : the noun form of the verb, “mataseru”, which means ‘to keep someone or something waiting’ in Japanese.
- shi – し : one conjugation of “suru”. It is a verb meaning ‘to do’, ‘to perform’, or such in Japanese. When it follows a noun, however, it can work to make the verb form of the preceding noun.
- mashi – まし : one conjugation of the auxiliary verb, “masu”, which is used after a verb to make it polite.
- ta – た : an auxiliary verb used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its past tense form.
From these five components, we can understand that “omataseshimashita” is literally the polite past tense expression which means ‘to have kept someone waiting’. The shortened version still has the same concept. So, “omatase” can work to say “sorry to have kept you waiting” in Japanese.
When we meet new Japanese phrases, we should check their origins and grammatical components in detail to understand their meanings clearly and deeply. In many cases, origins and grammatical components tell us a lot about the meanings of the phrases they form. Actually, here, we could get the better understanding of “omatase” through the detailed check above.
Then, let me explain how to use “omatase” through the example sentence below.
Example: how to say “sorry to have kept you waiting” in Japanese
「omatase」 to kanojo wa boku ni it ta – 「お待たせ」と彼女は僕に言った (「おまたせ」とかのじょはぼくにいった)
“Sorry to have kept you waiting,” she said to me.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- to – と : a case particle working as a quote marker. In the example, this works after “omatase” to indicate what “kanojo” said to “boku”.
- kanojo – 彼女 (かのじょ) : a pronoun meaning ‘she’ in Japanese.
- wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “kanojo” to make the subject in the sentence.
- boku – 僕 (ぼく) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese. This is used mainly by boys and young males.
- ni – に : a case particle used to say to whom an action is directed. In the example, this is used after “boku” to say to whom the action described by “it ta” is directed.
- it – 言っ (いっ) : one conjugation of the verb, “iu”, which means ‘to say’, ‘to tell’, ‘to speak’, or such in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
- ta – た : the same as explained above. In the example, this is used after “it” to make its past tense form, “it ta”.
This is a typical usage of “omatase”. In this example, it works to mean ‘sorry to have kept you waiting’ in Japanese. Japanese people do not often appreciate for someone’s patience in this kind of situation, but express apology for being late.
Summary
In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meanings of “omatase” in detail based on its original expression. And also, I’ve explained how to use it through the example sentence. Let me summarize them as follows.
- omatase – お待たせ (おまたせ) : a phrase meaning ‘sorry to have kept you waiting’, ‘thank you for waiting’, or such in Japanese. Native speakers use this phrase to express their apology or appreciation to someone who has been waiting for them. This phrase originally came from “omataseshimashita” which is literally the polite past tense expression for ‘to have kept someone waiting’.
Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.
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