ちょっと details
a bit + write
chotto kaku
a bit; slightly — a small degree, and in speech the all-purpose softener
meaning: write a bit
疲れたから、ここでちょっと休む。
tsukareta kara, koko de chotto yasumu.
I'm tired, so I'll rest a bit here. neutral
今日はちょっと…。また今度でもいい？
kyou wa chotto... mata kondo demo ii?
Today's a bit… Could we make it another time? casual
- dictionary form
- i-adjective
- na-adjective
- colloquial
- colloquial
Examples
a bit; briefly — a small degree, a small amount, or a short while
疲れたから、ここでちょっと休む。
tsukareta kara, koko de chotto yasumu.
I'm tired, so I'll rest a bit here. neutral
この靴、ちょっと小さいです。
kono kutsu, chotto chiisai desu.
These shoes are a little small. neutral
失礼します。ちょっとお伺いしてもよろしいでしょうか。
shitsurei shimasu. chotto o ukagai shite mo yoroshii deshou ka.
Excuse me — might I ask you something? formal
the softener — a refusal or an awkward topic, often with the sentence left unfinished
今日はちょっと…。また今度でもいい？
kyou wa chotto... mata kondo demo ii?
Today's a bit… Could we make it another time? casual
その言い方はちょっと失礼じゃない？
sono iikata wa chotto shitsurei ja nai?
Isn't that a slightly rude way to put it? casual
Formation
ちょっと{V}attaches to dictionary formちょっと{I}attaches to i-adjectiveちょっと{NA-stem}だattaches to na-adjective
Variant notes
- ちょい — the live clipping, at home in slang compounds — ちょい待って, ちょい足し。
- ちょいと — dated and 下町-flavoured, the shape 落語 speaks in — ちょいと、あんた。
Notes
attention-getter rather than a degree word.
Related patterns
Similar
The same quantity at different registers — ちょっと is the spoken default and 少し the one a written report uses; only ちょっと can trail off as a refusal (今日はちょっと…), where 少し would be read as an unfinished measurement.
Opposite
- とてもdegree-scale
Two ends of one degree scale over the same adjectives — とても pushes the quality to its top and ちょっと keeps it just above zero; the asymmetry is pragmatic, since only ちょっと doubles as a hedge, so ×とても、今日は… cannot decline an invitation.