phrase

yamete kudasai

yah-MEH-teh koo-dah-SIGH

Yamete kudasai (phrase) means a Japanese expression meaning "please stop", used to ask someone to stop what they are doing. Example: “She held up a hand and said yamete kudasai.”

phrase

Japanese A Japanese expression meaning "please stop", used to ask someone to stop what they are doing.

"She held up a hand and said yamete kudasai."

"In the scene the character shouts yamete kudasai as the fight breaks out."

internet slang Used online, chiefly by non-Japanese speakers, as a joke catchphrase quoting anime and adult animation, typically to feign mock protest.

"He posted a screenshot of his bank balance captioned "yamete kudasai"."

How to Use Yamete kudasai

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishJapanese for "please stop".

When to use it

Ordinary polite Japanese, but in English-language internet use it carries strong joke and adult-anime associations. Use with care.

Memory tip

The final -ai in kudasai is said like the English word "eye".

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

yamero yada → dame →

Common pairings

yamete kudasai, onegai shouted yamete kudasai

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

She held up a hand and said _____.

Etymology

From Japanese yamete, the te-form of yameru "to stop", plus kudasai "please".

Origin: Japanese

Synonyms

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yamero stop it please stop

Rhymes for yamete kudasai

ai bai hai sai kai wai tai dai lai rai Mai nai

See all rhymes for yamete kudasai →

Frequently Asked Questions

What does yamete kudasai mean in English?

It means "please stop". Yamete is the request form of the verb "to stop" and kudasai adds politeness, so the whole phrase is a polite request that someone cease what they are doing.

What is the difference between yamete and yamete kudasai?

Yamete on its own is a plain, casual "stop it", suitable between friends or in a moment of urgency. Adding kudasai makes it polite, roughly "please stop".

Why is yamete kudasai used as a meme?

It is widely quoted from anime and from Japanese adult animation, and English-speaking internet users repeat it as a mock protest for comic effect. Because of that association it can read as crude to Japanese speakers, even though the phrase itself is entirely ordinary.