下さい

Imperative (命(めい)令(れい)形(けい) (meireikei)) form of 下(くだ)さる (kudasaru, “to give”), the honorific form of 呉(く)れる (kureru). This form is said to have either directly shifted from an earlier 下(くだ)され (kudasare), which is more typical of 四(よ)段(だん)活(かつ)用(よう) (yodankatsuyō, “quadrigrade inflection”) and 五(ご)段(だん)活(かつ)用(よう) (godankatsuyō, “quintigrade inflection”), or to be a clipping of 下(くだ)さいまし (kudasaimashi) or 下(くだ)さいませ (kudasaimase), from 下(くだ)さり (kudasari, 連(れん)用(よう)形(けい) (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of the verb 下(くだ)さる (kudasaru)) + まし (-mashi) or ませ (-mase), imperatives of ます (-masu), altered in a process called イ音(おん)便(びん) (i-onbin).

• (Tokyo) ください [kùdásáꜜì] (Nakadaka – [3])
• IPA^(key): [kɯ̟da̠sa̠i]

下(くだ)さい • (kudasai) 

1. please give me

   それを下(くだ)さい。

   Sore o kudasai.

   Please give me that.

2. (polite, imperative) please do something for me; expressing a request

   現(げん)地(ち)に着(つ)いたら電(でん)話(わ)して下(くだ)さい。

   Genchi ni tsuitara denwa shite kudasai.

   Please call me when you get there.

   ゆっくり話(はな)して下(くだ)さい。

   Yukkuri hanashite kudasai.

   Please speak slowly.

3. stem or continuative form of 下さる (kudasaru) [godan]
4. imperative form of 下さる (kudasaru)

• The imperative sense is either attached to the て (-te) form of a verb, or a noun prefixed with お (o-) or ご (go-).
• Nowadays, except in very formal or traditional contexts, this term is normally written in kana. Outside of such contexts, the spelling 下(くだ)さい can emphasize the meaning of “to give” associated with the kanji 下, though this is rare.

• (please give me): ちょうだい (chōdai, usually used by women)
• (please): ちょうだい (chōdai, usually used by women), なさい (nasai, soft but firm), な (-na, casual)