Moji NinjaOn'yomi and kun'yomi
Most kanji have two kinds of reading. On'yomi (音読み) comes from the Chinese pronunciation the kanji was borrowed with; kun'yomi (訓読み) is a native Japanese word given to the character. Which one you use depends on the word, not on the kanji.
The rule of thumb
- Kun'yomi when the kanji stands alone or is followed by hiragana (okurigana): 山 (yama), 見る (miru).
- On'yomi when two or more kanji form a compound: 火山 (kazan), 電車 (densha).
| Kanji | Kun'yomi (on its own) | On'yomi (in a compound) |
|---|---|---|
| 山 | 山 (やま, yama) — mountain | 火山 (かざん, kazan) — volcano |
| 水 | 水 (みず, mizu) — water | 水曜日 (すいようび, suiyōbi) — Wednesday |
| 人 | 人 (ひと, hito) — person | 日本人 (にほんじん, nihonjin) — Japanese person |
| 車 | 車 (くるま, kuruma) — car | 電車 (でんしゃ, densha) — train |
| 大 | 大きい (おおきい, ōkii) — big | 大学 (だいがく, daigaku) — university |
| 生 | 生きる (いきる, ikiru) — to live | 学生 (がくせい, gakusei) — student |
The exceptions
- On'yomi on its own. Some kanji are read with their on'yomi even alone: 本 (hon, “book”), 円 (en, “yen”), 駅 (eki, “station”), 気 (ki, “spirit”).
- Kun'yomi in compounds. 名前 (namae, “name”), 花見 (hanami, “cherry-blossom viewing”), 右手 (migite, “right hand”).
- A special reading for the whole word (jukujikun): 今日 (kyō, “today”), 一人 (hitori, “one person”), 大人 (otona, “adult”), 今年 (kotoshi, “this year”).
- Sounds change at the join. 一 + 本 → 一本 (ippon), 三 + 本 → 三本 (sanbon), 学 + 校 → 学校 (gakkō).
Why one kanji can have several on'yomi
Kanji were borrowed at different times from different parts of China. 人 is jin in 日本人 (nihonjin) and nin in 三人 (sannin); 生 is sei in 学生 (gakusei) and shō in 一生 (isshō, “a whole life”).
How dictionaries write them
On'yomi in katakana, kun'yomi in hiragana, often with a dot before the okurigana: み.る for 見る.
How to learn readings
Don't memorise lists of readings. Learn each reading with a word you meet it in — 水 (mizu) on its own, 水曜日 (suiyōbi) in a compound — and the reading makes sense. The kanji pages for N5 and N4 show each kanji in words and sentences that use no other kanji, so you can read every example as soon as you learn it.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to memorise every reading of a kanji?
No. Learn the readings you meet in words. Rare readings come when you reach the words that use them.
Which reading is used in names?
Names often use kun'yomi (田中, Tanaka) or readings used only in names (nanori), so names often need checking.
Do some kanji have only one reading?
Yes. Many kanji have only an on'yomi, such as 駅 (eki, “station”) and 電 (den, “electricity”).