読 Kanji: Meaning, Readings and Stroke Order

読: read; interpret. JLPT N5; 14 strokes.

Readings

On readings

ドク、トク、トウ

Kun readings

よ.む

Romaji

doku, toku, tou, yomu

Study notes

読 means 'to read' and, by extension, 'to interpret'.

On readings: ドク in 読書 (どくしょ, reading), 読者 (どくしゃ, reader), 音読 (おんどく, reading aloud), 愛読 (あいどく, preferred reading); in 読解 (どっかい, text comprehension) becomes どっ. トク in 読本 (とくほん, reader book). トウ in 句読点 (くとうてん, punctuation).

Kun readings: よむ (読む, to read): 本を読む (to read a book). よみ is the noun 'reading', also in the sense of pronunciation of a kanji: 読み方 (よみかた, way of reading), 音読み (おんよみ, on reading), 訓読み (くんよみ, kun reading).

Special readings: 読経 (どきょう, sutra recitation) is read as a whole word.

Remember: 読 contains on the left the component 言 (word), as in 語 and 話.

Example words

• 読書 (どくしょ) — reading
• 句読点 (くとうてん) — punctuation marks
• 読む (よむ) — to read

Example sentences

本を読んでいます。

hon wo yonde imasu.

I am reading a book.

Stroke order

Follow the steps in order. Each new stroke is highlighted.

Stroke paths: KanjiVG, CC BY-SA 3.0. Sequential diagrams derived from the original paths.