Japanese word

読む

Pronunciation

Romajiyomu

Meaning

  • verbread

Example

本を読みます。hon o yo mi ma su

I read a book.

Illustration for 読む (read)

More examples

絵本を読みます。e hon o yo mi ma su

I read a picture book.

この漢字は何と読みますか。ko no kan ji wa nan to yo mi ma su ka

How do you read this kanji?

Core concept

It describes the act of understanding written words by following them in sequence.

Common phrases

  • 本を読むhon o yo mu

    read a book

  • 新聞を読むshin bun o yo mu

    read a newspaper

  • 声に出して読むkoe ni da shi te yo mu

    read aloud

Similar words

音読するondokusuru: To read written words aloud.
黙読するmokudokusuru: To read written words silently.

Definition in Japanese

文字や文章を順に見て、そこに表された内容を理解すること。moji ya bun shō o jun ni mi te so ko ni arawa sa re ta nai yō o ri kai su ru ko to

Word origin

読む (yomu) is a native Japanese verb rather than a Sino-Japanese compound, but no more specific origin is certain.

Usage tips

  • 読む (yomu) applies to text on a screen as well as text in a book, because the verb concerns written language rather than its medium.

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word