sudoku

See also: Sudoku, su doku, and sūdoku

English

Alternative forms

• su doku

Etymology

Etymology tree

Japanese 数(すう)字(じ) (sūji)

Japanese は (wa)

Japanese 独(どく)身(しん) (dokushin)

Japanese に (ni)

Japanese 限(かぎ)る (kagiru)

Japanese 数独 (sūdoku)bor.

English sudoku

Borrowed from Japanese 数独 (sūdoku).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: so͝odō'ko͞o, so͝odŏ'ko͞o, so͝odo͞o'ko͞o, IPA^(key): /sʊˈdəʊku/, /sʊˈdɒku/, /sʊˈduːku/, /sə-/, /suː-/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (US, Canada) enPR: so͝odō'ku, so͝odŏ'ko͞o, so͝odo͞o'kō, so͝odo͞o'ko͞o, IPA^(key): /sʊˈdoʊku/, /sʊˈdɑku/, /sʊˈdukoʊ/, /sʊˈduku/, /sə-/, /su-/
• (Indic) enPR: so͝odō'ku, IPA^(key): /sʊˈɖoku/

Uncommon pronunciations, approximating Japanese pronunciation:

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: so͝o'dōko͞o, so͝o'dŏko͞o, so͝o'do͞oko͞o, IPA^(key): /ˈsʊdəʊku/, /ˈsʊdɒku/, /ˈsʊduːku/, /ˈsuː-/
• (US, Canada) enPR: so͝o'dōku, so͝o'dŏko͞o, so͝o'do͞okō, so͝o'do͞oko͞o, IPA^(key): /ˈsʊdoʊku/, /ˈsʊdɑku/, /ˈsʊdukoʊ/, /ˈsʊduku/, /ˈsu-/

Noun

sudoku (countable and uncountable, plural sudokus)

2. (games) A type of pencil puzzle played on a square grid, requiring each of the columns, each of the rows, and each of the subregions (called "boxes" or "regions") to contain the lowest whole numbers up to the dimension of the puzzle, usually 1 to 9, once each. The subregions are rectangular or square except in variants.

   Synonym: (US) Number Place

   • 2005 May 23, Eric Pfanner, “Puzzling phenomenon sweeps British papers”, in The New York Times‎^[1], archived from the original on 28 October 2021:

     For Preston is the publishing director at Puzzler Media, which creates magazines filled with puzzles, including one called sudoku that has taken Britain by storm. […] The puzzles are widely available over the Internet because efforts to trademark the name in Britain have not been successful, and you can even download sudokus to mobile phones.

   • 2008, Jan Silvious, Smart Girls Think Twice: Making Wise Choices When It Counts, Thomas Nelson, →ISBN, page 61:

     In fact, anything we do just to kill time—even essentially healthy activities like reading, chatting on the phone, or completing a sudoku puzzle—becomes a 'time thief.

   • 2023 November 3, Siobhan Roberts, “What It Takes to Wear the Sudoku Crown”, in The New York Times‎^[2], archived from the original on 3 November 2023:

     The annual championship event comprises two days of Sudoku, followed by three days of other types of pencil-and-paper logic puzzles. Some of the Sudokus were classics: In a 9-by-9 grid, insert a number from 1 to 9 into each cell so that no number repeats in any row, column or bolded 3-by-3 square region.

Derived terms

• commit sudoku
• killer sudoku
• sandwich sudoku
• sudokuist

Translations

a puzzle using numbers

• Arabic: سُودُوكُو m (sūdūkū)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 數獨 / 数独 (zh) (shùdú)

• Danish: sudoku c
• Dutch: sudoku (nl) m
• Esperanto: sudoko
• Finnish: sudoku (fi)
• French: sudoku (fr) m
• German: Sudoku (de) n
• Hindi: सुडोकू (suḍokū)
• Hungarian: szúdoku (hu)
• Indonesian: sudoku
• Irish: súdócú m
• Italian: sudoku (it) m
• Japanese: 数独 (sūdoku), ナンプレ (nanpure), ナンバープレース (nanbā purēsu)
• Korean: 스도쿠 (ko) (seudoku)
• Polish: sudoku (pl) n
• Portuguese: sudoku (pt) m
• Russian: судо́ку (ru) n (sudóku)
• Spanish: sudoku (es)
• Swedish: sudoku (sv)
• Tagalog: sudoku
• Turkish: sudoku (tr)
• Ukrainian: please add this translation if you can
• Vietnamese: sudoku

See also

• Cross Sums
• hanjie
• hitori
• kakuro
• Latin square
• magic square
• masyu

Czech

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 数独 (sūdoku).

Noun

sudoku n

2. (games) sudoku (a type of puzzle game)

Declension

This noun needs an inflection-table template.

Danish

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 数独 (sūdoku).

Noun

sudoku

2. (games) sudoku (a type of puzzle game)

Declension

Declension of sudoku

common gender	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	sudoku	sudokuen	sudokuer	sudokuerne
genitive	sudokus	sudokuens	sudokuers	sudokuernes

Finnish

Etymology

From Japanese 数独 (sūdoku, literally “numbers singly”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsudoku/, [ˈs̠udo̞ku]
• Rhymes: -udoku
• Syllabification^(key): su‧do‧ku
• Hyphenation^(key): su‧do‧ku

Noun

sudoku

2. (games) sudoku (a type of puzzle game)

Declension

Inflection of sudoku (Kotus type 2/palvelu, no gradation)
nominative		sudoku	sudokut
genitive		sudokun	sudokujen sudokuiden sudokuitten
partitive		sudokua	sudokuja sudokuita
illative		sudokuun	sudokuihin
		singular	plural
nominative		sudoku	sudokut
accusative	nom.	sudoku	sudokut
	gen.	sudokun
genitive		sudokun	sudokujen sudokuiden sudokuitten
partitive		sudokua	sudokuja sudokuita
inessive		sudokussa	sudokuissa
elative		sudokusta	sudokuista
illative		sudokuun	sudokuihin
adessive		sudokulla	sudokuilla
ablative		sudokulta	sudokuilta
allative		sudokulle	sudokuille
essive		sudokuna	sudokuina
translative		sudokuksi	sudokuiksi
abessive		sudokutta	sudokuitta
instructive		—	sudokuin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of sudoku (Kotus type 2/palvelu, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative sudokuni sudokuni accusative nom. sudokuni sudokuni gen. sudokuni genitive sudokuni sudokujeni sudokuideni sudokuitteni partitive sudokuani sudokujani sudokuitani inessive sudokussani sudokuissani elative sudokustani sudokuistani illative sudokuuni sudokuihini adessive sudokullani sudokuillani ablative sudokultani sudokuiltani allative sudokulleni sudokuilleni essive sudokunani sudokuinani translative sudokukseni sudokuikseni abessive sudokuttani sudokuittani instructive — — comitative — sudokuineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative sudokusi sudokusi accusative nom. sudokusi sudokusi gen. sudokusi genitive sudokusi sudokujesi sudokuidesi sudokuittesi partitive sudokuasi sudokujasi sudokuitasi inessive sudokussasi sudokuissasi elative sudokustasi sudokuistasi illative sudokuusi sudokuihisi adessive sudokullasi sudokuillasi ablative sudokultasi sudokuiltasi allative sudokullesi sudokuillesi essive sudokunasi sudokuinasi translative sudokuksesi sudokuiksesi abessive sudokuttasi sudokuittasi instructive — — comitative — sudokuinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative sudokumme sudokumme accusative nom. sudokumme sudokumme gen. sudokumme genitive sudokumme sudokujemme sudokuidemme sudokuittemme partitive sudokuamme sudokujamme sudokuitamme inessive sudokussamme sudokuissamme elative sudokustamme sudokuistamme illative sudokuumme sudokuihimme adessive sudokullamme sudokuillamme ablative sudokultamme sudokuiltamme allative sudokullemme sudokuillemme essive sudokunamme sudokuinamme translative sudokuksemme sudokuiksemme abessive sudokuttamme sudokuittamme instructive — — comitative — sudokuinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative sudokunne sudokunne accusative nom. sudokunne sudokunne gen. sudokunne genitive sudokunne sudokujenne sudokuidenne sudokuittenne partitive sudokuanne sudokujanne sudokuitanne inessive sudokussanne sudokuissanne elative sudokustanne sudokuistanne illative sudokuunne sudokuihinne adessive sudokullanne sudokuillanne ablative sudokultanne sudokuiltanne allative sudokullenne sudokuillenne essive sudokunanne sudokuinanne translative sudokuksenne sudokuiksenne abessive sudokuttanne sudokuittanne instructive — — comitative — sudokuinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative sudokunsa sudokunsa accusative nom. sudokunsa sudokunsa gen. sudokunsa genitive sudokunsa sudokujensa sudokuidensa sudokuittensa partitive sudokuaan sudokuansa sudokujaan sudokuitaan sudokujansa sudokuitansa inessive sudokussaan sudokussansa sudokuissaan sudokuissansa elative sudokustaan sudokustansa sudokuistaan sudokuistansa illative sudokuunsa sudokuihinsa adessive sudokullaan sudokullansa sudokuillaan sudokuillansa ablative sudokultaan sudokultansa sudokuiltaan sudokuiltansa allative sudokulleen sudokullensa sudokuilleen sudokuillensa essive sudokunaan sudokunansa sudokuinaan sudokuinansa translative sudokukseen sudokuksensa sudokuikseen sudokuiksensa abessive sudokuttaan sudokuttansa sudokuittaan sudokuittansa instructive — — comitative — sudokuineen sudokuinensa

Further reading

• “sudoku”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[3] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 3 July 2023

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 数独 (sūdoku).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sy.dɔ.ky/, /su.dɔ.ku/

• Audio (France (Lyon)):

  (file)

Noun

sudoku m (plural sudokus)

2. (games) sudoku (a type of puzzle game)

See also

• kakuro
• mot caché
• mots croisés

Indonesian

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 数独 (sūdoku).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /su.do.ku/
• Hyphenation: su‧do‧ku

Noun

sudoku (plural sudoku-sudoku)

2. (games) sudoku (a type of puzzle game)

Further reading

• “sudoku”, in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia [Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016

Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 数独 (sūdoku).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /suˈdo.ku/, /suˈdɔ.ku/
• Rhymes: -oku, -ɔku
• Hyphenation: su‧dó‧ku, su‧dò‧ku

Noun

sudoku m (invariable)

2. (games) sudoku (a type of puzzle game)

Further reading

• sudoku in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Polish

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 数独 (sūdoku).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /suˈdɔ.ku/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔku
• Syllabification: su‧do‧ku

Noun

sudoku n (indeclinable)

2. (games) sudoku (a type of puzzle game)

Further reading

• sudoku in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• sudoku in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 数独 (sūdoku).

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /suˈdo.ku/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /su.dɔˈku/ [su.ðɔˈku], /suˈdɔ.ku/ [suˈðɔ.ku]

• Hyphenation: su‧do‧ku

Noun

sudoku m (plural sudokus)

2. (games) sudoku (a type of puzzle game)

Further reading

• “sudoku”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2025
• “sudoku”, in Dicionário infopédia da Lingua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2025
• “sudoku”, in Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), São Paulo: Editora Melhoramentos, 2015–2025
• “sudoku”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2025

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 数独 (sūdoku).

Noun

sudoku n (plural [please provide])

2. (games) sudoku (a type of puzzle game)

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 数独 (sūdoku, literally “numbers singly”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /suˈdoku/ [suˈð̞o.ku]
• Rhymes: -oku
• Syllabification: su‧do‧ku

Noun

sudoku m (plural sudokus)

2. (games) sudoku

Further reading

• “sudoku”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 10 December 2024

Turkish

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 数独 (sūdoku).

Noun

sudoku (definite accusative sudokuyu, plural sudokular)

2. (games) sudoku (a type of puzzle game)

Declension

Declension of sudoku

	singular	plural
nominative	sudoku	sudokular
definite accusative	sudokuyu	sudokuları
dative	sudokuya	sudokulara
locative	sudokuda	sudokularda
ablative	sudokudan	sudokulardan
genitive	sudokunun	sudokuların