also: おまちどうさま
expression
sorry to have kept you waiting
A polite set phrase used when you have made someone wait. Often said upon arriving late or when finally attending to someone.
遅くなってすみません、お待ちどおさま。
Sorry I'm late; thank you for waiting.
お待ちどおさま、すぐご案内します。
Sorry to have kept you waiting; I'll show you in right away.
Standard polite phrase; the most common written form.
Kanji spelling using 遠; less common but still seen.
More formal and explicit apology for making someone wait. お待ちどおさま is slightly more casual and often used in service situations.
Derived from 待ち遠しい (machidōshii, 'long-awaited') with the honorific prefix お and polite suffix さま. The phrase literally expresses that the wait felt long for the other person.