お待たせしました
おまたせしました · omataseshimashita · JLPT N2 · expression
Sorry to have kept you waiting
⏳ 待たせ = make wait; お = polite; しました = did: politely did make you wait
Stem 待 (mata) means wait, させ (ase) is the causative 'make', and ました (mashita) is the polite past. It is the standard apology to someone who waited for you.
待 — chì 彳 (step) + 寺 sì (temple/phonetic)
待 combines the 'step' radical 彳, suggesting movement or a path, with 寺, which serves as the phonetic component. Originally it conveyed the idea of stopping along a road, which extended to 'waiting.' Over time it also took on related meanings like 'to treat' or 'to deal with' someone.