97563
When looking up the definition of ちょっと in a bilingual dictionary, it is given
the possible pitch accent patterns of (i) atamadaka, (ii) heiban, and (iii)
odaka. So which accent to use, in which context?

**Attempt using NHK:** Looking the word up in the NHK 2016 pitch accent
dictionary provides further clues:

> [![enter image description
> here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/FF9RU.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/FF9RU.png)

Here I'm assuming ちょっとした, ちょっとみ, and ちょっとやそった are their own words/should be
ignored. That leaves us with the following two options:

  1. **ちょっと(その道で~は知られている).** When ちょっと is being used before a は-particle, isn't it behaving as a noun? If so, NHK is saying that it should have the **Odaka** pattern:

> [![enter image description
> here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/NLdqJ.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/NLdqJ.png)

  2. **ちょっと(~待ってもらいたい).** When ちょっと is placed directly before a verb phrase, isn't it acting as an adverb? If so, NHK is stating it can be either **Atamadaka or Heiban** :

> [![enter image description
> here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/wS8pm.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/wS8pm.png)

  3. **Interjections?** One case that doesn't get covered by NHK is when ちょと is used as an interjection. Here, I'm just assuming it's spoken in the **Atamadaka** pattern?

  4. **Conclusion:** ちょっと is Atamadaka as an interjection, Heiban as an adverb, and Odaka when used as a noun.

Is my above reasoning correct?
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2022-12-09T02:27:54.813
97560
2022-12-09T06:05:53.250
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question
pitch-accent dictionary
Attempting to Parse the NHK 2016 Pitch Entry on ちょっと
Unfortunately NHK is not correct in this case, and ちょっと is pretty much always
said atamadaka in both その道でちょ＼っとは知られている and ちょ＼っと待ってもらいたい. As for the
interjection, it is also atamadaka. ちょっとした￣ is heiban.

* * *

BTW, putting reality aside, regarding your analysis/interpretation of NHK, the
one place I’d disagree is classifying ちょっと as a noun just because it is
followed by は. Adverbials are often followed by は, like
そうはさせない、少しはわかった、優しくはしない、 ゆっくりは話す (uncommon but possible with context), and so
on. Even in the cases where it seems like you could analyze one of them as a
noun (eg 少し = “some of it”), IMO these elements are still behaving as adjuncts
because one can fill in the underlying arguments to the predicate, like
少しは話がわかった, which eliminates any potential reading where 少し is serving as an
argument.
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2022-12-09T06:05:53.250
97563
2022-12-09T06:05:53.250
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answer