訓読み

• Reading: くんよみ
• Romaji: kunyomi
• Kanji breakdown: 訓 (kun) — native Japanese reading, instruction; 読 (yo) — read; み (mi) — nominaliser
• Pronunciation: /kɯɴ.jo.mi/

Meaning

Kun'yomi; the native Japanese reading of a kanji character, as opposed to the Sino-Japanese (on'yomi) reading.

A noun for the reading assigned to a kanji based on a pre-existing native Japanese word (和語) that the character was used to represent. For example, 山 has the kun'yomi やま (yama) alongside the on'yomi さん/せん. Most kanji have at least one kun'yomi and one on'yomi, and mastering both is essential for Japanese literacy. 訓読み is a foundational concept in Japanese language education and linguistics.

Examples

1. 山という漢字の訓読みはやまで、音読みはさん・せんとなる。 The kun'yomi reading of the kanji for 'mountain' is 'yama,' while its on'yomi readings are 'san' and 'sen.
2. 訓読みは漢字に当てはめた日本語固有の読み方で、和語に由来する。 Kun'yomi is the native Japanese reading assigned to a kanji character and originates from the yamato-kotoba vocabulary.
3. 同じ漢字でも訓読みと音読みで意味が微妙に異なることがある。 Even for the same kanji, the meaning can subtly differ between its kun'yomi and on'yomi readings.

Usage Guide

Context: language education, linguistics, kanji study

Tone: educational

Origin & History

Native Japanese compound. 訓 (くん) refers to a native Japanese reading of a character and 読み (よみ) means 'reading'. The term contrasts with 音読み (on'yomi), the Sino-Japanese reading based on Chinese pronunciation.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical–Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal