How to read kanji.

On-yomi , Kun-yomi

There are two ways to read kanji, On-yomi and Kun-yomi, and the differences are as follows.

音読み　　　On – yomi

It is a reading based on the old Chinese pronunciation, and many of the meanings are not clear just by hearing them.

訓読み　　Kun – yomi

It is a Japanese reading of the meaning of a kanji, and many of the meanings can be understood just by hearing it. There are also kanji that require a sendigana, such as “represent” or “show”.

Some kanji even have special readings. For example, one is one person. We completely ignored the on’yomi and kun’yomi readings.

Example

On – yomi
(On-reading)

Kun – yomi
(Kun-reading)

ソウ

so u

草

くさ

ku sa

grass

クウ

ku u

空

そら・から so ra ka ra

hollow ・empty

　sky ・ empty

サン

sa n

山

やま

ya ma

mountain

送りがな　Okurigana

Okurigana is the kana below the kanji in vertical writing or to the right of the kanji in horizontal writing to make Japanese words written in kanji easier to read in kanji-kana mixed writing.

か

書く

kaku

write

よ

読む

yomu

read