読む
Meaning in Englishread
Animated kanji stroke order
Related sentences
Word context
What it means
What does 読む mean? It means to engage with written language by extracting meaning from symbols, whether silently or aloud, and it also covers using reading as a way to learn or gather information from text.
Main meanings
- read written text such as books, articles, and signs
- read aloud or recite aloud for others
- study or learn by reading, as in studying material or instructions
How to use it
Used in both casual and formal contexts. In polite speech, 読みます (yomimasu) or 読みません is common, while 読む (yomu) is plain form. It takes direct objects like 本, 新聞, 雑誌, ウェブ記事, and can describe silent reading, reading aloud, or skimming; the verb also appears in educational settings, media discussions, and everyday conversations about what someone has read.
Variants and close terms
- 読む (yomu) — to read, base form
- 読み上げる (yomiageru) — to read aloud
- 閲覧する (etsuran suru) — to browse or view text
- 書く (kaku) — to write, antonym
Composition
読 consists of the 言 radical signaling language or speech on the left, paired with a phonetic element on the right; adding the okurigana む forms the verb 読む, meaning to read as a unified action of engaging with written language.
Word class
Verb (動詞)