kanzya ga matte imasu.

• 患者 = patient
• が = the subject marker
• 待って います = is waiting / are waiting

So grammatically, the sentence is:

• 患者 = the one doing the action
• が = marks that noun as the subject
• 待って います = describes the ongoing state/action of waiting

Even if you already know the overall meaning, it helps to see that the structure is basically The patient is waiting.

It is read:

かんじゃ が まって います。

More naturally without learner spacing:

患者が待っています。

Readings:

• 患者 → かんじゃ
• 待って → まって
• います → います

Both が and は can appear with a sentence like this, but they do slightly different jobs.

• 患者が待っています。
  = The patient is waiting / A patient is waiting
  This presents patient as the subject, often as new or important information.

• 患者は待っています。
  = The patient is waiting / As for the patient, they are waiting
  This sets patient up as the topic, often implying contrast or that we are already talking about the patient.

A learner-friendly way to think about it:

• が = identifies who is doing it
• は = tells you what we’re talking about

In a simple standalone sentence like this, が is very natural.

This is a very common question.

• 待ちます = wait / will wait
• 待っています = is waiting / are waiting

The form 〜ている often shows an action in progress.
So:

• 患者が待ちます。
  can sound like The patient will wait or The patient waits
• 患者が待っています。
  clearly means The patient is currently waiting

Since the English meaning is something like an ongoing situation, 待っています is the natural choice.

待っている is made from:

• dictionary form: 待つ = to wait
• te-form: 待って
• plus いる

So:

• 待つ
• 待って
• 待っている

For many verbs, 〜ている means:

• an action is in progress
• someone is in the middle of doing something

Here, 待っている means to be waiting.

In polite form, いる becomes います, so:

• plain: 待っている
• polite: 待っています

It can be either, depending on context.

Japanese nouns usually do not change form for singular vs. plural the way English nouns do.

So 患者 could mean:

• a patient
• the patient
• patients
• the patients

In many cases, context tells you which one is meant.
If this sentence appeared by itself, many learners would naturally interpret it as the/a patient is waiting, but patients are waiting is also grammatically possible.

Because Japanese often leaves out information that is understood from context.

English often prefers something explicit, like:

• The patient is waiting for the doctor.
• The patient is waiting in the lobby.

Japanese can omit those details if they are already obvious in the situation.

So 患者が待っています。 simply focuses on the fact that the patient is waiting.
If needed, you could add more information:

• 患者が診察室で待っています。
  = The patient is waiting in the examination room.

• 患者が医者を待っています。
  = The patient is waiting for the doctor.

Yes. It is polite.

• 待っている = plain form
• 待っています = polite form

So:

• 患者が待っている。 sounds plain/casual
• 患者が待っています。 sounds polite and appropriate in many normal situations

This is the kind of form you would often hear in workplaces, hospitals, customer service situations, and polite conversation.

The small っ is part of the te-form of 待つ.

The verb 待つ ends in つ, and verbs ending in つ usually make the te-form like this:

• 待つ → 待って
• 立つ → 立って
• 持つ → 持って

So this is a normal conjugation pattern.

In pronunciation, the small っ creates a brief pause before the next consonant:

• まって

That pause is important. It is not the same as まて.

Yes, depending on context.

待っています often means:

• is waiting
• has been waiting

Japanese does not always mark that distinction as clearly as English does.

So if someone says this in a situation where the waiting has already been going on for some time, English might translate it as:

• The patient has been waiting.

If the focus is just on the current situation, it may be:

• The patient is waiting.

Context decides which English version sounds best.

No, that is not normal in everyday Japanese writing.

Standard Japanese would usually be written as:

患者が待っています。

Spaces are often added in textbooks or beginner materials to make it easier to see:

• the noun
• the particle
• the verb parts

So the spaced version is a learning aid, not the usual written style.

Yes. Japanese usually does not mark a vs. the directly.

So 患者が待っています。 could be:

• A patient is waiting
• The patient is waiting
• sometimes even Patients are waiting

English requires an article, but Japanese does not.
You choose the best English version from context.

If this were said at a reception desk and the listener did not yet know which patient, A patient is waiting might fit well.
If both speaker and listener already know which patient is being discussed, The patient is waiting may be better.