A pendant is provided as a robot operating apparatus. The pendant includes an operation-input mode detecting unit that detects an operation-input mode of a touch operation inputted to a touch panel. In addition, in the pendant, an action setting unit sets an action direction and a number of actions of an inching action by a robot, based on an action mode associated with the operation-input mode with a predetermined amount of margin. Furthermore, an action command generating unit generates an action command to operate the robot such that the inching operation is performed in the action direction and by the number of actions set by the action setting unit.