Sumi
On’yomi · 音読み
Readings that came into Japanese from Chinese. Dictionaries usually write them in katakana. They appear most often in words made of two or more kanji.
だい in 大学 (university)
Guide · Kanji readings
On’yomi vs Kun’yomi: how kanji readings work
Most kanji can be read in more than one way. Here’s what On’yomi and Kun’yomi are, how to tell which one a word uses, and how to learn both without memorizing lists.
The short answer
Kun’yomi · 訓読み
Native Japanese words that were given a kanji. Dictionaries usually write them in hiragana. They appear most often when a kanji stands alone or has kana endings.
おお in 大きい (big)
See it on a real card
This is Sumi’s card for 大. Turn it over and tap the On readings だい and たい, then the Kun readings おおきい and おお. Each one opens the real word that uses it, with an example sentence.
大
big; large
大きい
おおきい
ookii · big; large
大学
だいがく
daigaku · university
大切
たいせつ
taisetsu · important; precious
大雨
おおあめ
ooame · heavy rain
Readings & words
On
Kun
Example
このこのkono
家いえie
ははwa
大きいおおきいookii
ですですdesu
。
This house is big.
Example
兄あにani
ははwa
大学だいがくdaigaku
へへe
行きますいきますikimasu
。
My older brother goes to university.
Example
これこれkore
ははwa
大切たいせつtaisetsu
ななna
写真しゃしんshashin
ですですdesu
。
This is a precious photograph.
Example
今日きょうkyou
ははwa
大雨おおあめooame
ですですdesu
。
There is heavy rain today.
How to tell which reading a word uses
- Two or more kanji together usually use On’yomi. 大学 (だいがく, university) and 毎日 (まいにち, every day) are typical compounds.
- A kanji followed by kana endings usually uses Kun’yomi. In 大きい (おおきい) and 見る (みる), the kana after the kanji, called okurigana, are the clue.
- A kanji on its own is often Kun’yomi. 人 (ひと, person) and 中 (なか, inside) are words by themselves.
- There are exceptions. Some compounds mix readings, and some words have special readings that belong to the whole word, like 大人 (おとな, adult). That’s why learning readings through words works better than learning rules alone.
On and Kun readings in N5 Chapter 1
Every kanji below is from Sumi’s first N5 chapter, which is free in the app. Each reading is shown in a real word.
| Kanji | On’yomi | Kun’yomi |
|---|---|---|
| 大big; large | だい 大学 だいがく · daigaku · university | おおきい 大きい おおきい · ookii · big; large |
| 人person | じん 日本人 にほんじん · nihonjin · Japanese person | ひと 人 ひと · hito · person |
| 日day; sun | にち 毎日 まいにち · mainichi · every day | ひ 日 ひ · hi · day; daylight; sun |
| 一one | いち 一番 いちばん · ichiban · number one; first | ひとつ 一つ ひとつ · hitotsu · one thing |
| 年year | ねん 来年 らいねん · rainen · next year | とし 年 とし · toshi · year; age |
| 中inside; middle | ちゅう 中国 ちゅうごく · chuugoku · China | なか 中 なか · naka · inside |
| 子child | し 帽子 ぼうし · boushi · hat | こ 子ども こども · kodomo · child; children |
| 出go out; take out | しゅつ 出発 しゅっぱつ · shuppatsu · departure | でる 出る でる · deru · to leave; to go out |
| 見see; show | けん 見学 けんがく · kengaku · a visit to observe and learn | みる 見る みる · miru · to see; to watch |
Special readings
Some common words are read as a whole, not kanji by kanji. You can’t build these readings from On or Kun, so Sumi lists them separately as Special readings.
おとな
otona · adult
ひとり
hitori · one person; alone
あした
ashita · tomorrow
きのう
kinou · yesterday
ことし
kotoshi · this year
How to learn both
Learn each reading together with a word you’ll actually meet. A reading on its own is abstract; a word like 大学 gives it a sound, a meaning and a context.
Start with the core words. Sumi starts each kanji with its most common reading, and you rate one reading at a time, so you’re never asked to memorize every reading at once.
Hear it and review it. Every word in Sumi has an example sentence with audio, and your Not yet, Got it and Easy ratings decide when each word comes back.
Questions
Why do kanji have more than one reading?
Kanji came to Japan from China, together with their Chinese pronunciations, which became On’yomi. The Japanese already had their own words for the same ideas, and those were written with the same kanji; they became Kun’yomi. Some kanji were borrowed more than once, in different periods, which is why they can have several On readings.
Do I need to memorize every reading?
No. Many readings are rare, and learners meet them gradually. Learn the readings that appear in common words first. Sumi’s core cards cover the most useful words, and the extra vocabulary adds more when you’re ready.
Are On’yomi always written in katakana?
Only in dictionaries and kanji lists, as a convention to tell the two apart. In normal writing, and in furigana, both kinds of readings are written in hiragana.
Which reading should I learn first?
Learn the reading used in the word you’re studying. For beginners that’s often the Kun’yomi of common standalone words like 人 or 山, and the On’yomi in everyday compounds like 大学 or 毎日.
What does “Special” mean on a Sumi card?
It marks a reading that belongs to a whole word rather than to one kanji, like 大人 (おとな) or 明日 (あした). You learn these as vocabulary.