読 – Kanji Meaning, Reading, and Common Words

by

What does 読 mean in Japanese?

読 means to read in Japanese. It is the kanji behind 読む (yomu, to read), one of the most essential verbs for learners, and it appears in words about reading books, reading aloud, and how words are read.

読 has two main readings. Read it as よむ (yomu) in the verb 読む, meaning ‘to read,’ and as ドク (doku) in compounds such as 読書 (dokusho, reading) and 音読 (ondoku, reading aloud). You will also meet 読み方 (yomikata, how to read a word), a word you will use constantly when studying kanji.

Reading

On’yomi: ドク (doku)

Kun’yomi: よ-む (yo-mu)

Basic Information

Kanji 読
Meaning read, reading
Stroke Count 14
JLPT Level N4

How to Understand This Kanji

読 is about the act of reading in a broad sense. 読む covers reading books, newspapers, and messages, and it also extends to reading situations or feelings, as in 空気を読む (to read the room). In compounds read as ドク, the meaning becomes more formal or academic, as in 読書 (reading as a habit) and 読者 (reader).

Common Words

  • 読む（よむ / yomu） — to read
  • 読書（どくしょ / dokusho） — reading (books)
  • 読み方（よみかた / yomikata） — how to read, reading of a word
  • 音読（おんどく / ondoku） — reading aloud
  • 読者（どくしゃ / dokusha） — reader
  • 立ち読み（たちよみ / tachiyomi） — browsing books while standing in a store

Example Sentences

  • 毎晩、本を読みます。

    まいばん、ほんをよみます。 / Maiban, hon o yomimasu.

    I read books every night.

  • この漢字の読み方を教えてください。

    このかんじのよみかたをおしえてください。 / Kono kanji no yomikata o oshiete kudasai.

    Please tell me how to read this kanji.

  • 図書館で雑誌を読みました。

    としょかんでざっしをよみました。 / Toshokan de zasshi o yomimashita.

    I read magazines at the library.

Related Kanji

  • 書

    — 書 means to write, the natural partner of 読; reading and writing (読み書き) are paired in Japanese just as in English.

  • 本

    — 本 means book, the most common thing to read; 本を読む (to read a book) is one of the first sentences learners build.

  • 字

    — 字 means character or letter, the thing you actually read on the page; 読 and 字 come together whenever you ask how a kanji is read.

When Learners Usually See This Kanji

読む is one of the first verbs learners study, and 読み方 (yomikata) will follow you through your entire kanji journey, since it is the standard word for asking how a kanji or word is read. 読書 (dokusho) refers to reading as an activity or hobby. The set phrase 空気を読む (kuuki o yomu, literally ‘to read the air’) means sensing the mood of a situation and is very common in conversation.

Summary

読 means to read and powers the essential verb 読む along with everyday words about books, readers, and how words are read.