How to pronounce "kudasai" in English
ˌkuː.dəˈsaɪ
koo·də·SY
Primary stress: SY
Hear native speakers say kudasai in context across real video clips
Linguistic Pronunciation Masterclass: “kudasai”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
koo
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
də
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
SY
Gliding diphthong with sustained vocal resonance.
Primary emphasis falls on the third syllable ("SY"). Raise your pitch and sustain the vowel length on this syllable while relaxing the surrounding syllables.
Common Pronunciation Traps & Learner Mistakes
The Trap: Avoid pronouncing every vowel with full acoustic weight. Non-native speakers often over-enunciate unstressed vowels.
How Native Speakers Say It: Only give full vowel clarity to the primary stressed syllable. Relax all unstressed vowels into a neutral, low-energy schwa (⁄ə⁄).
Connected Speech & Natural Conversational Flow
When followed by a vowel, insert a subtle glide (/w/ or /j/) to connect into the subsequent word without an abrupt glottal stop.
Maintain the stress-timed rhythm of English: compress unstressed syllables rapidly so the beat of "kudasai" aligns naturally with adjacent words.
Authentic Spoken Quotes from Native Video Context
“Kiotsukete kudasai. Sorekara, hiatari, ano ma eigo de wa exposure to the sun nan desu keredomo, hiatari ga ii”— MIT OpenCourseWareWatch clip
“Kiotsukete kudasai. Tatoeba, kore wa nani nani to yobarete imasu.”— MIT OpenCourseWareWatch clip
“de kudasai. Kokode wa oogoe dewa hanasanai de kudasai.”— MIT OpenCourseWareWatch clip
“Watashi ni chokusetsu renraku shite kudasai, contact me directly.”— MIT OpenCourseWareWatch clip
“Konna katachi de oboete mite kudasai.”— MIT OpenCourseWareWatch clip
“Sorekara namae wo yonde kudasai.”— MIT OpenCourseWareWatch clip
Practice Speaking “kudasai”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
Kiotsukete kudasai. Sorekara, hiatari, ano ma eigo de wa exposure to the sun nan desu keredomo, hiatari ga ii
Hear it in context: “kudasai”
99 clipsThe English word “kudasai” is transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) as ˌkuː.dəˈsaɪ (phonetic respelling: koo-də-SY). Phonologically, it consists of 3 syllables (koo · də · SY), with primary lexical stress placed on the 3rd syllable (SY). Grammatically, “kudasai” functions as a interjection. SayItVid indexes 99 authentic English video clips demonstrating how native speakers articulate “kudasai” in natural connected speech across American (US: 8 sampled), British (UK), and Australian (AUS) accents, including verified broadcasts from MIT OpenCourseWare.
Spoken Video Transcripts & Contextual Quotes (5 Verified Clips)
- 🇺🇸 USMIT OpenCourseWareClip #1 · @3:44
“Win the lottery, takarakuji ni atarimashita to iu, koko particle wa ni desu. Kiotsukete kudasai. Sorekara, hiatari, ano ma eigo de wa exposure to the sun nan desu keredomo, hiatari ga ii Sorekara, hiatari, ano ma eigo de wa exposure to the sun nan desu keredomo, hiatari ga ii”
- 🇺🇸 USMIT OpenCourseWareClip #2 · @10:02
“Kono doushi wa desu ne context ni yotte iroiro na imi ga chigaimasu. Kiotsukete kudasai. Tatoeba, kore wa nani nani to yobarete imasu. Tatoeba, kore wa nani nani to yobarete imasu.”
- 🇺🇸 USMIT OpenCourseWareClip #3 · @7:16
“Sorekara, oogoe, ooki na koe to iu imi nan desu keredomo, tatoeba, oogoe de hanasanai de kudasai. Kokode wa oogoe dewa hanasanai de kudasai. Kokode wa oogoe dewa hanasanai de kudasai.”
- 🇺🇸 USMIT OpenCourseWareClip #4 · @17:11
“cho- ee, kore chokusetsu, direct. Watashi ni chokusetsu renraku shite kudasai, contact me directly. Sorekara, chokugo, ma immediately following, right after.”
- 🇺🇸 USMIT OpenCourseWareClip #5 · @27:20
“So a tree is a gathering place for birds. Konna katachi de oboete mite kudasai. De yomikata nan desu keredomo, onyomi de shu.”
Definition & Meaning: “kudasai”
- A Japanese polite word meaning please, used after a verb or noun to make a request.
Example Sentences (3)
- “Mizu o kudasai.”
- “Kiotsukete kudasai. Sorekara, hiatari, ano ma eigo de wa exposure to the sun nan desu keredomo, hiatari ga ii”
- “Kiotsukete kudasai. Tatoeba, kore wa nani nani to yobarete imasu.”
Common Phrases & Collocations
Pronounce: “kudasai”
- Pronunciation:
- koo-də-SY
- Syllables:
- koo · də · SY
- Written Hyphenation:
- ku · da · sai
- Primary stress:
- SY
- IPA:
- ˌkuː.dəˈsaɪ
- Hear it in context
- kudasai
Words that Rhyme with “kudasai”
-aɪWords that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"kudasai" (⁄ˌkuː.dəˈsaɪ⁄) has no true homophones in standard English — there are no other words with identical pronunciation. Unlike sound-alike pairs like there / their or peace / piece, "kudasai" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about kudasai
How do you pronounce “kudasai”?
“kudasai” is pronounced ⁄ˌkuː.dəˈsaɪ⁄ (koo-də-SY). Listen to the native-speaker clips above to hear it in real conversation.
How many syllables are in “kudasai”?
“kudasai” has 3 syllables: koo · də · SY.
Where is the stress in “kudasai”?
The primary stress in “kudasai” is on “SY”. Listen for that stressed syllable in the clips above.
What does “kudasai” mean?
A Japanese polite word meaning please, used after a verb or noun to make a request.
How can I hear “kudasai” used in real sentences?
This page has 99 real-world video examples of “kudasai” with synchronized subtitles. Use Previous / Next (or ← / → keys) to hear each one at the exact moment it is spoken.
What is the most common pronunciation mistake when saying “kudasai”?
Avoid pronouncing every vowel with full acoustic weight. Non-native speakers often over-enunciate unstressed vowels. Only give full vowel clarity to the primary stressed syllable. Relax all unstressed vowels into a neutral, low-energy schwa (⁄ə⁄).