one moment

Meaning

This phrase is a polite and slightly formal way to ask someone to wait for a very short time. It is highly common in professional settings, customer service, and telephone conversations. It signals that you are taking immediate action and will return to the conversation shortly.

Examples

• One moment, please, while I look up your reservation.

  One moment, please, while I look up your reservation.

• Yes, I can help you with that—just give me one moment.

  Yes, I can help you with that—just give me one moment.

• One moment, I need to ask my manager about this policy.

  One moment, I need to ask my manager about this policy.

• If you could give me one moment, I will print your receipt.

  If you could give me one moment, I will print your receipt.

• One moment, please, the system is running a bit slow today.

  One moment, please, the system is running a bit slow today.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ Wait me one moment.

  ✓ Give me one moment.

  You cannot use the verb 'wait' directly with a personal pronoun like 'me' without the preposition 'for'. It is better to use the verb 'give' in this context.

• ✗ I will be back after one moment.

  ✓ I will be back in one moment.

  Use the preposition 'in' to indicate the amount of time that will pass before an action occurs, rather than 'after'.

Related Expressions

Practice

• ___, please. I am checking our inventory right now.

  💡 Capitalized. Very common in customer service.

  Show answer

  One moment

• If you give me ___, I can find the keys for you.

  💡 Lowercase. Two words.

  Show answer

  one moment