What is the meaning of yamete kudasai (止めてください)?

This article will give you all of the knowledge you need on the Japanese phrase yamete kudasai, including its Japanese definition and translation, example sentences, alternative expressions, and more!

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What does yamete kudasai mean?

In Japanese, yamete kudasai (止めてください、やめてください）means please stop. The verb yameru means to stop, while kudasai stands for please.

You may have heard yamete kudasai in anime or err… certain other forms of entertainment, where a woman is asking someone to stop what they are doing. Despite this stereotype, it is not a bad word as such.

Let’s look at some example sentences below.

Yamete kudasai means "please stop" in Japanese.

To make it easier for you, I have written each sentence in full Japanese kanji in the first line, followed by roman letters (romaji), and hiragana, with the English meaning coming last.

止めてください。
Yamete kudasai.
やめてください
Please stop that.

冗談はやめてください。
Jyoudan wa yamete kudasai.
じょうだんはやめてください。
Please stop joking around.

Putting the yo particle on the end, as in yamete kudasai yo, softens the tone slightly.

You might, for example, say yamete kudasai yo when jestingly telling a coworker to stop doing something (like a practical joke) over some beers.

もう止めてくださいよ！
Mou yamete kudasai yo!
もうやめてくださいよ！
Come on, please stop doing that would you!

止めてくださいよ、本当に！
Yamete kudasai yo, hontou ni!
やめてくださいよ、ほんとうに！
Please stop that. I mean it (lit: really)!

As you might guess, adding kudasai makes this phrase more polite. You would therefore not use it with friends, but rather with strangers or people you’re not close to.

Yamete – the casual equivalent

On its own, yamete just means stop or stop it, but without the politeness of kudasai. This is what you use with friends or loved ones.

やめて。そんなこと言わないで！
Yamete. Sonna koto iwanaide!
やめて。そんなこといわないで！
Stop it. Don’t say that!

お願いだから、喧嘩はやめて！
Onegai dakara, kenka wa yamete!
おねがいだから、けんかはやめて！
Come on (lit: I’m begging you), stop fighting!

Again, you can soften this to yamete yo. A Japanese kid might, for example, say this when their okaasan (mom) is embarrassing them!

お母さん、やめてよ！
Okaasan, yamete yo!
おかあさん、やめてよ！
Mom, stop it!

What does yamero mean?

Yamero also means stop. However, it is typically used by men and has an aggressive, strong tone. Use it with caution!

お前、わからないって言うのをやめろ！
Omae, wakarai tte iu no wo yamero!
おまえ、わからないっていうのをやめろ！
Stop saying you don’t know about it!

邪魔だからやめろ！
Jyama dakara yamero!
じゃまだからやめろ！
Stop it! You’re cramping my style.

やめろ! 危ないぞ。
Yamero! Abunai zo.
やめろ! あぶないぞ。
Stop that! It’s dangerous.

So what is the difference between yamete and yamero?

The meaning of the two is the basically same, but the tone of yamete is fairly neutral whereas yamero is much stronger.

I’d also add that yamero tends to be used by guys. There’s no rule that says girls can’t say it, but some people might look at you weirdly.

What is yamete kure?

Yamete kure (やめてくれ) is another strong way to tell someone to stop. It means stop that or knock it off, but it’s not quite as aggressive as yamero. As it’s an order, you wouldn’t use yamete kure with strangers or, Heaven forbid, your boss!

面倒くさいからやめてくれ。
Mendoukusai kara yamete kure.
めんどうくさいからやめてくれ。
Stop that. You’re getting on my nerves.

冗談はやめてくれよ。
Jyoudan wa yamete kure yo.
じょうだんはやめてくれよ。
Knock it off with the jokes would ya?

What do you say to get taxi drivers to stop?

Note that you would not use yamete kudasai when asking a taxi to stop. In fact, this could startle your driver who might think you’re scolding him for something!

To ask the driver to stop the car, you use tomete kudasai (止めてください、とめてください). Perhaps confusingly, this is written with the same kanji as yameru (the kanji is optional in any case).

向こうで止めてください。
Mukou de tomete kudasai.
むこうでとめてください。
Please stop over there.

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Rohan

Rohan is a professional Japanese translator and the author behind Tanukiki.com, a blog that offers Japanese language tips and insights on life in Japan.

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