How to use 「ちょっと」(chotto) in order to express “NO”
When Japanese people want to say NO, we often use 「ちょっと」(chotto) instead of saying NO.
I’d like to show you how we use this word.
<example 1>
「仕事（しごと）が終（お）わったら、食事（しょくじ）に行（い）きませんか？」
「ごめんなさい。今日（きょう）はちょっと・・・」
-Why don’t we eat together after work today?
-I’m sorry I can’t today.
<example 2>
「この仕事（しごと）を今日中（きょうじゅう）に終（お）わらせてもらえますか？」
「それは、ちょっと・・・」
-Can you finish this task by today?
-I’m sorry to say I can’t.
In both cases, 「できません」(dekimasen: I can’t) must be put after 「ちょっと」but it’s omitted.
We don’t like to say negative words directly so we only say 「ちょっと」and have a silent pause after the word. (「・・・」expresses the silent pause)
In this method, we expect he/she to guess what we want to say and also express we feel sorry to say NO.
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Corrections · 3
0
Yes, we can say 「すみません、エビがちょっと」or 「すみません、エビはちょっと」.
It is not rude.
0
I love the expression ちょっと. In the examples you give, it is sort of like, "well, I'd like to . . . but it's kind of . . . " and then leave the rest of the sentence up to the other person's imagination. Can you also use ちょっと if someone offers you some food that you don't like, or that you are allergic to? (例えば「すみません、エビがちょっと・・・」）Or is that too rude?
0
ありがとう！
Thank you for this information it will help me learn my Japanese.
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