読 — Kanji Meaning, Readings & Example Words (JLPT N5)
What it means
At its heart, 読 is about reading — taking in words with your eyes. You'll meet it in two roles: as a standalone verb (読む, "to read") and as a building block inside compound words about reading and readers (読書 "reading," 読者 "a reader," 音読 "reading aloud"). The handy payoff is that whenever you spot 読 in an unfamiliar word, you can bet it has something to do with reading or text — an instant head start on the meaning.
Readings
| Type | Reading | Used in |
|---|---|---|
| kun'yomi | よ.む | 読む (to read), 読み方 (how to read) |
| on'yomi | ドク | 読書 (reading), 音読 (reading aloud), 読者 (reader) |
| on'yomi | トク | 読点 (とうてん, comma) — rare |
Here's a rule of thumb that works for most kanji, not just this one: the kun'yomi (よ.む) tends to show up when the kanji stands more or less alone with hiragana endings, while the on'yomi (ドク) appears inside two-kanji compound words. So 読む uses よ.む, but 読書 uses ドク. Spotting that pattern early will help you guess readings for kanji you haven't even studied yet.
Stroke order & radical
- Strokes: 14, written left to right — the 言 radical on the left first, then the right-hand portion built top to bottom.
- Radical: the left side is 言, the "speech" radical (ごんべん). It marks kanji to do with words, language, and saying things — you'll also see it in 話 (to talk), 語 (language), and 言 (to say) itself.
Recognizing that radical is genuinely useful: meet a new kanji with 言 on the left and you can already guess it relates to words or speaking — and 読 (reading words) fits that family perfectly.
Common words using 読
Notice the reading split in action: the lone-verb 読む takes よ.む, while the compounds (読書, 音読, 読者) flip to ドク. That's the rule of thumb above, working exactly as advertised.
Example sentences
ヤッタンは毎晩本を読みます。
ヤッタンは まいばん ほんを よみます。
Yattan reads a book every night.
読む — the kun'yomi よ.む reading.
モチは読書がとても好きです。
モチは どくしょが とても すきです。
Mochi loves reading.
読書 — the on'yomi ドク, used in a compound.
先生は「この漢字の読み方を知っていますか」と聞きました。
せんせいは「この かんじの よみかたを しっていますか」と ききました。
The teacher asked, Do you know how to read this kanji?
読み方 — kun'yomi よ.む inside a common everyday word.
Quick recap
- 読 = read; 14 strokes; built on the 言 "speech" radical.
- よ.む when it stands alone (読む, 読み方); ドク in compounds (読書, 音読, 読者).
- The 言 radical on the left signals words and language — a handy clue for guessing meanings.
Your turn
Choose the correct reading of 読 in each word.
Start the 5-question drill →Frequently asked questions
How do you read 読 in 読む vs 読書?
In 読む it's the kun'yomi よ (読む = よむ, 'to read'). In 読書 it's the on'yomi ドク (読書 = どくしょ, 'reading'). As a rule, compounds take the on'yomi.
How many strokes does 読 have?
読 has 14 strokes. The 言 'speech' radical on the left is written first, then the right-hand side from top to bottom.
What does the 言 radical in 読 tell me?
言 is the 'speech' radical (ごんべん). It marks kanji about words and language, such as 話 (talk), 語 (language), and 読 (read) — so seeing it hints the kanji relates to words.
What's the difference between 読書 and 音読?
読書 (どくしょ) means reading books, usually silently for pleasure. 音読 (おんどく) means reading aloud — literally 'sound-reading' — often practiced in class.