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お待ちどおさま (おまちどおさま) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

お待まちどおさま

also: おまちどうさま

お

ま

ち

ど

お

さ

ま

Meanings

1

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.

遅おそくなってすみません、お待まちどおさま。
Sorry I'm late; thank you for waiting.

お待まちどおさま、すぐご案あん内ないします。

Sorry to have kept you waiting; I'll show you in right away.

Kanji

待wait, depend on
遠distant, far
様Esq., way, manner

Related words

お待またせしましたN2
お待たせしました is the more formal, explicit apology for making someone wait, while お待ちどおさま is a casual, often service-industry set phrase used for the same purpose.

Written forms

お待まちどおさま
Standard polite phrase; the most common written form.
お待まち遠どお様さま
Kanji spelling using 遠; less common but still seen.
お待ちどうさまおまちどおさま
irregular kana usage

Etymology

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.