Kunreading

Kunreading, also known as kun'yomi, is a term used in the study of Japanese kanji to denote the native Japanese reading assigned to a kanji character. This reading contrasts with on-reading (on'yomi), which derives from Chinese pronunciations introduced to Japan through historical contact.

Kun readings correspond to the pronunciations used in native Japanese vocabulary when a kanji appears in a word. They are typically found in words of Japanese origin and may include okurigana to indicate inflection. For example, the kanji 行 can have the kun reading iku, meaning “to go.” However, many kanji used in Sino-Japanese compounds employ on readings rather than kun readings.

In practice, a single kanji can have multiple kun readings, and some kanji have only on readings. The choice of kun reading is determined by the word in which the kanji appears and by historical conventions. Dictionaries present kanji with listed kun readings and on readings, and learners are taught kun readings alongside vocabulary.

Related concepts include jukujikun, where a kanji combination has a meaning and reading not directly derived from any single kanji’s kun or on reading, and ateji, where kanji are used for their sound rather than their meaning.

The kun reading continues to be essential in everyday Japanese, especially in native words and certain verb and adjective endings, and remains a core component of kanji education.