Sudoku is a number puzzle. You get a big square cut into nine small blocks, and each block has nine little squares — 81 squares in all. Some squares already have numbers in them. Your job is to fill in the rest, so that every row across, every column down, and every one of the nine blocks holds the numbers 1 to 9, each one time only.

Sudoku數獨 is a number puzzle是一種數字謎題。You get a big square cut into nine small blocks你會拿到一個切成九個小方塊的大方格，and each block has nine little squares每個小方塊裡又有九個小格子——81 squares in all總共81格。Some squares already have numbers in them有些格子裡已經有數字。Your job is to fill in the rest你的工作是把剩下的填滿，so that every row across, every column down, and every one of the nine blocks holds the numbers 1 to 9讓每一橫排、每一直排，還有九個小方塊裡都要有1到9，each one time only而且每個數字只能出現一次。

You never need to add or count anything; you only work out where each number can and cannot go, so it is a thinking puzzle, not a maths puzzle — though a lot of people believe the opposite because they see numbers. In fact you could play it with nine colours or nine animal pictures and nothing would change.

You never need to add or count anything你完全不用加法或算數；you only work out where each number can and cannot go你只需要推理出每個數字能放哪裡、不能放哪裡，so it is a thinking puzzle, not a maths puzzle所以這是邏輯推理謎題，不是數學謎題——though a lot of people believe the opposite because they see numbers不過很多人因為看到數字就以為相反。In fact you could play it with nine colours or nine animal pictures事實上你也可以用九種顏色或九種動物圖案來玩，and nothing would change完全不會有差別。

The word is a countable noun for one puzzle ("I did a sudoku on the train") and also an uncountable name for the whole game ("I like sudoku"). Many people also treat it as a plain noun with no article: "Do you play sudoku?" You see it in newspapers, in cheap puzzle books, and in phone apps, usually marked easy, medium or hard.

The word is a countable noun for one puzzle ("I did a sudoku on the train")這個字當可數名詞可以指一份謎題，像「I did a sudoku on the train（我在火車上做了一份數獨）」，and also an uncountable name for the whole game ("I like sudoku")也可以當不可數名詞指整個遊戲，像「I like sudoku（我喜歡數獨）」。Many people also treat it as a plain noun with no article很多人也把它當成不加冠詞的普通名詞："Do you play sudoku?"像「Do you play sudoku?（你玩數獨嗎？）」You see it in newspapers, in cheap puzzle books, and in phone apps你會在報紙、便宜的謎題本，還有手機app裡看到它，usually marked easy, medium or hard通常會標示簡單、中等或困難。

English speakers say it roughly "soo-DOH-koo". It is not usually written with a capital letter, though older newspapers sometimes did.

English speakers say it roughly "soo-DOH-koo"英語母語者念起來大概是「soo-DOH-koo」。It is not usually written with a capital letter這個字通常不會大寫，though older newspapers sometimes did不過比較舊的報紙有時候會大寫。