How to read Kanji
On-reading and Kun-reading are for how Kanji characters are read.
Example
- Kanji: 月 → On-reading: ‘ga tsu’ / Kun-reading: ‘tsu ki’（moon）
- Kanji: 山 → On-reading: ‘sa n’ / Kun-reading: ‘ya ma’（mountain）
- Kanji: 火 → On-reading: ‘ka’ / Kun-reading: ‘hi’（fire）
- Kanji: 海 → On-reading: ‘ka i’ / Kun-reading: ‘u mi’（sea）
- Kanji: 食 → On-reading: ‘sho ku’ / Kun-reading: ‘ta’（to eat）
Almost all Kanji characters have both On-reading and Kun-reading.
がんばる子
On-reading is derived from Chinese.
アシスタント
Whereas Kun-reading is the sound made by Japanese.
Basic rule
On-reading (or On-yomi) is applied when the Kanji character is used to make a word with other Kanji characters.
Example for On-yomi
- 八月（August）：はちがつ／ha chi ga tsu
- 富士山（Mt Fuji）：ふじさん／fu ji sa n
- 放火（arson）：ほうか／ho u ka
- 海水（sea water）：かいすい／ka i su i
- 食事（meal）：しょくじ／sho ku ji
Kun-reading (or Kun-yomi) is applied when the kanji character is used on its own, with adjectives or with Hiragana characters.
Example for Kun-yomi
- 月（moon）：つき／tsu ki
- 山（mountain）：やま／ya ma
- 赤い火（red fire）：あかいひ／a ka i hi
- 大きい海（big sea）：おおきいうみ／o o ki i u mi
- 食べる（to eat）：たべる／ta be ru