kunyomi

Kun'yomi, or kunyomi, is the native Japanese reading of a kanji. It contrasts with on'yomi, the reading borrowed from Chinese pronunciations. Kun'yomi is typically used when a kanji represents a native Japanese word, especially when the word appears as a single kanji or with okurigana to indicate inflection or conjugation.

Kun'yomi readings arose as kanji were adopted into Japanese. Over time, many kanji acquired multiple readings, including several kun'yomi depending on the word and context. In everyday use, kun'yomi readings most often appear with single-kanji words or with the kanji plus attached kana that show how the word is formed or inflected. By contrast, on'yomi readings are common in compound words made from two or more kanji or in Sino-Japanese vocabulary.

Note that the boundary between kun'yomi and on'yomi is not fixed. Some kanji have several kun readings, and some words use a mix of kun and on readings. There are also specialized readings such as jukujikun, where the pronunciation of a word is established for the whole compound rather than derived from the individual kanji, and nanori readings, used primarily in names.

Examples of kun'yomi readings include:

- 木 (ki) meaning tree

- 水 (mizu) meaning water

- 山 (yama) meaning mountain

- 日 (hi) meaning sun or day

- 人 (hito) meaning person

- 行 (iku) meaning to go

- 来 (kuru) meaning to come

Kun'yomi remains a fundamental aspect of how kanji are used in native Japanese vocabulary, complementing the on'yomi readings that facilitate Sino-Japanese terms and multi-kanji compounds.