How to Say Wait a Moment in Korean (잠깐만요)

What you'll learn

• Say 잠깐만요, 잠시만요 and 잠깐만 and choose the one that fits the listener.
• Pronounce 잠깐만요, including the tense ㄲ and the [뇨] sound.
• Ask someone to wait with 기다려 주세요.
• Avoid using 기다려요 ("I wait", or a blunt "wait") when you mean 기다려 주세요 ("please wait").

Before you start: if you want to get someone's attention first, see excuse me in Korean. Time: about 12 minutes. Audio plays only when you press a button.

How Do You Say Wait a Moment in Korean?

The standard way to say wait a moment in Korean is 잠깐만요. The word 잠깐 is "a short while". The particle 만 means "only", so 잠깐만 means "only for a moment", which is the idea of "just a moment". The ending 요 makes it polite. Together, the phrase asks the other person to pause for a short time.

Revised Romanization (the South Korean government standard of 2000) is only a reading aid here. Learn the Hangul first. The next section shows how the forms differ.

What Are the Polite and Casual Ways to Say Wait a Moment?

Wait a moment in Korean has polite, careful and casual choices. You can stop someone, tell them you are coming, or ask them to wait.

Polite: 잠깐만요 (jamkkanmanyo)

잠깐만요 is the safe default. Use it to stop someone who is leaving, to ask for a pause in the middle of a conversation, or to buy yourself a second to think. Say a short sentence after it to explain: 잠깐만요, 금방 갈게요 ("one moment, I'll be right there").

Polite: 잠시만요 (jamsimanyo)

잠시 is a slightly more formal word for "a short time". 잠시만요 is the usual phrase of staff and office workers. It is also what people say when they need to squeeze past someone in a crowded place.

Polite Request: 잠시만 기다려 주세요 (jamsiman gidaryeo juseyo)

When you want to ask someone to wait for you, add 기다려 주세요 ("please wait"). The verb 기다리다 becomes 기다려, and 주세요 turns it into a polite request. For a careful tone in service, use 잠시만 기다려 주시겠어요? ("Could you wait a moment?").

Casual: 잠깐만 (jamkkanman)

잠깐만 is what friends say. It can also be followed by 기다려 ("wait"). Never use it with a boss, an elder or a stranger, because without 요 it sounds like a command.

The forms share one core. The next section shows how to say it out loud.

How Do You Pronounce 잠깐만요?

잠깐만요 is pronounced [잠깐만뇨] in everyday speech, in four syllables: jam-kkan-man-yo. The written spelling is 잠깐만요, but the last two syllables sound like [만뇨].

1. 잠 (jam): a plain j, the vowel ㅏ, and a closed "m".
2. 깐 (kkan): a tense k, with no puff of air, then ㅏ and "n".
3. 만 (man): m plus ㅏ and "n".
4. 요 (yo): a short, light ending that often sounds like "nyo" after 만.

Sound Changes to Listen For

• Tense ㄲ in 깐. This is a tense sound. Tighten your throat, do not release a puff of air, and say it as a sharp "kk". A plain ㄱ would sound like "jam-gan".
• An ㄴ sound before 요. When 요 follows a consonant, many speakers add a light ㄴ in common speech, so 만요 sounds like [만뇨]. The standard pronunciation rules do not codify this ㄴ before 요, so the Revised Romanization writes jamkkanmanyo without it. The same happens in 잠시만요, which sounds like [잠시만뇨].
• No tensing in 주세요. In 기다려 주세요, the ㅈ stays plain, so say [주세요], not "jjuseyo".
• Tense [써] in 주시겠어요. The ㅆ in 겠어요 moves to the next syllable, so 주시겠어요 sounds like [주시게써요]. See Korean tensification.
• Tense [께] in 갈게요. In 금방 갈게요, the ㄹ ending makes the ㄱ of 게 tense: [금방 갈께요].
• No rising pitch. 잠깐만요 ends on a level or slightly falling tone. A sharp rise would sound like a question.

Say the tense 깐 first, then let 만요 flow into [만뇨]. Next, when does each form fit?

When Should You Use 잠깐만요, and When Should You Not?

Use 잠깐만요 when you need someone to pause for a short moment. Use 잠시만요 in service, 잠깐만 with friends, and 잠시만 기다려 주세요 when you ask someone to wait for you. The choice depends on closeness and setting, not on how long you will take.

Situations Where It Fits

• Someone is leaving. Say 잠깐만요! to stop a person or a lift door.
• You need a second. In a shop, 잠시만요, 확인해 볼게요 ("one moment, I'll check") buys you a few seconds.
• On the phone. 잠시만 기다려 주세요 is the standard "please hold".

Situations to Avoid

• 잠깐만 with an elder. Without the polite ending, it sounds like an order.
• 기다려요 as a request. That form usually means "I wait" or "I'm waiting". Said as a command it is blunt, not "please wait".
• A long wait. If you will be longer than a minute, give a time or say 조금 걸려요 ("it takes a little while").

Three short scenes show the forms in use.

What Does Wait a Moment Sound Like in a Real Conversation?

Requests to wait are short. Listen for the ending of each sentence.

What to notice: 주문할게요 sounds like [주문할께요], and 금방 갈게요 sounds like [금방 갈께요]. The staff say 잠시만요 as [잠시만뇨].

What to notice: Both lines drop 요, because the friends are close. 늦겠어 sounds like [늗께써], and 신을게 sounds like [시늘께]. For urgent versions, see hurry up in Korean.

What to notice: 계세요 is the honorific form of "to be (somewhere)", used for a respected person. 바꿔 드릴게요 sounds like [바꿔 드릴께요]. The phrase 잠시만 기다려 주세요 is the standard "please hold".

What Should You Know about the Culture behind Wait a Moment?

These are general patterns, not rules.

• Say it early. Koreans often say 잠깐만요 or 잠시만요 as a quick signal while they finish another task, so that the other person knows they were heard.
• Add a reason. A polite habit is to follow with a short reason, such as 확인해 볼게요 ("I'll check") or 금방 올게요 ("I'll be right back").
• Apology words. When the wait is likely to be long, people add 죄송합니다 ("I'm sorry") or 죄송해요. See excuse me in Korean for the related phrases.
• Making room. In a crowded lift or bus, 잠시만요 is also a gentle way to ask people to let you pass.

An expert tip: The particle 만 ("only") appears in many polite Korean requests. 잠깐만 means "only for a moment", 조금만 means "just a little", and 한 번만 means "just once". Once you know this, forms such as 하나만 주세요 ("just one, please") are easy to guess. For how endings carry politeness, see Korean speech levels.

What Mistakes Do Learners Make with Wait a Moment in Korean?

Most errors come from the wrong verb form or the wrong register.

Learners often translate "wait" word for word and use 기다려요 alone. In Korean, you ask someone to wait with 기다려 주세요, and 잠깐만요 stands for "just a moment" by itself.

Is It the Same as Wait, Hold on or Just a Moment?

Mostly. Each English phrase is covered by the forms above, with a small difference in tone.

• Wait in Korean: 기다려 주세요 (please wait), 기다려 (casual). The verb is 기다리다.
• Hold on in Korean: 잠깐만요 or 잠깐만 for a quick stop.
• Just a moment in Korean: 잠깐만요 or 잠시만요.
• One moment in Korean: 잠시만요, or 잠시만 기다려 주세요 in service. For the related phrase page, see one moment please in Korean.

Practice: Say It Aloud

Play the slow clip and repeat 잠깐만요 three times. Then choose the best phrase for each scene. Answers follow.

1. A friend rushes you, and you need to grab your bag.
2. A customer is calling you, and you are with someone else.
3. You answer an office phone and need to transfer the call.
4. You ask a stranger to hold the lift door.

Answers

1. 잠깐만, 가방 챙길게.
2. 잠시만요.
3. 잠시만 기다려 주세요.
4. 잠깐만요!

The phrase flashcards drill these phrases with audio.

Related Phrases to Learn Next

Asking someone to wait leads to other everyday phrases.

• excuse me in Korean: get attention before you ask.
• hurry up in Korean: the opposite request.
• please in Korean: the words that soften a request.
• help in Korean: when waiting is not enough.

This guide belongs to the korean filler words collection. What this page does not cover: long holds on the phone, queue etiquette and written announcements. Learn 잠깐만요 and 잠시만 기다려 주세요, and you can say wait a moment in Korean to anyone.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you say wait a moment in Korean?

Say 잠깐만요 (jamkkanmanyo) for "wait a moment". It is polite enough for strangers and colleagues. For a more careful tone, say 잠시만요 or 잠시만 기다려 주세요. With friends, drop the ending and say 잠깐만. The word 잠깐 means "briefly" and 만 means "only".

How do you pronounce 잠깐만요?

It has four syllables: jam-kkan-man-yo. The ㄲ in 깐 is a tense sound, with no puff of air. In everyday speech, a consonant before 요 often adds an ㄴ sound, so 잠깐만요 sounds like [잠깐만뇨]. Revised Romanization writes jamkkanmanyo.

What is the difference between 잠깐 and 잠시?

Both mean "for a short time". 잠깐 is the everyday word, and 잠시 is slightly more formal and common in announcements, shops and phone calls. In 잠깐만요 and 잠시만요 the difference is small, so pick 잠시만요 when you want to sound careful.

Is 잠깐만요 formal or casual?

It is polite. The ending 요 makes it respectful but not stiff, so it suits strangers, staff and colleagues. The more careful forms are 잠시만요 and 잠시만 기다려 주세요. The casual form is 잠깐만, which only fits friends and family.

What is the most common mistake with wait a moment in Korean?

Saying 기다려요, which usually means "I wait" and, used as a command, sounds blunt rather than like a request. To ask someone to wait, say 기다려 주세요. Another mistake is using the command 기다리세요 with a customer, which can sound like an order. Use 잠시만 기다려 주세요 instead.

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