读

• Pinyin: dú
• Hanzi breakdown: 读 = 讠(speech) + 卖 (sell, phonetic) — reading as vocalization

Meaning

To read; to read aloud; to study. Refers to the act of reading text or attending school.

Can mean reading aloud (读课文, read the text aloud), silent reading (读书, read/study), and attending school (读大学, attend university). In reading aloud contexts, 读 emphasizes pronunciation. For silent reading, 看 is also commonly used.

Examples

1. 请大声读这个词。 Please read this word aloud.
2. 我每天读半小时中文。 I read Chinese for half an hour every day.
3. 他在读大学。 He is attending university.

Usage Guide

Context: education, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 请读一下这个句子。(Please read this sentence.)
• 你在读什么书？(What book are you reading?)

Don't Say

• 我读了电视 (You don't 读 TV — use 看 for watching; 读 is for text-based reading)

Origin & History

Simplified form with 讠 (speech radical) + 卖 (sell, phonetic) — reading involves speech and vocalization.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal