読む

Pattern visualization

Examples

1. 本を読みます。▶ —
   I read a book.
2. 新聞を読んでいます。▶ —
   I am reading the newspaper.

Collocations

Mnemonic

よむ — 読む, Yamato. A godan -mu verb. The kanji 読 is 言 (word) + a variant of 売 ── unfolding words aloud. Its etymological grain is 'to read aloud'. The te-form is 読んで ── the godan rule turning -mu into -nde. 飲む → 飲んで, 読む → 読んで, the same cadence. The noun form 読み方 yomikata (way of reading) ── the most-used line when you don't know a kanji's reading: 読み方を教えてください (please teach me the reading). The 教える and ~てください of K-27-H meet again here. In the onyomi どく doku ── 読書 dokusho (reading), 朗読 roudoku (reading aloud). The Korean reading dok is sister to the onyomi どく.

Quick check

1. What is the natural way to ask how to read a kanji?

   • 読み方を教えてください (natural)
   • 発音を聞いてください (= "please listen to pronunciation", awkward)
   • 言って下さい (= "please say it", too direct)
   • 読む方法は何ですか (overly literal)