Kunyomi

Definition:

Kunyomi (訓読み, meaning reading) are the native Japanese readings of kanji — the pronunciations that map a kanji character onto an existing wago (native Japanese) word with an equivalent or related meaning. Where onyomi represent the adapted Chinese sound of a kanji, kunyomi represent the kanji’s “Japanese meaning” — the Japanese word that the character was assigned to represent. Kunyomi appear most commonly when a kanji stands alone with hiragana okurigana (endings) attached to it (especially verbs and adjectives), and in many basic Japanese nouns.

How Kunyomi Work

When kanji were adopted from China, Japanese speakers assigned pre-existing native Japanese words to the characters that shared their meaning:

• 山 (Chinese: shan, “mountain”) → Japanese assigned its word やま (yama, mountain) as the kunyomi
• 水 (Chinese: shui, “water”) → Japanese assigned みず (mizu, water) as the kunyomi
• 食 (Chinese: shí, “eat/food”) → Japanese assigned た (ta-) as the root of 食べる (taberu, to eat) as the kunyomi

The onyomi reads the kanji by its “sound”; the kunyomi reads it by its “meaning.”

Kunyomi in Verbs and Adjectives

Kunyomi are essential for reading Japanese verbs and adjectives, which are wago and always written with kanji + hiragana endings (okurigana, おくりがな):

The hiragana endings indicate verb conjugation or adjective form; the kanji stem (read with kunyomi) carries the lexical meaning.

Multiple Kunyomi

Many kanji have more than one kunyomi, reflecting different wago words that share the same or related meaning:

• 上 (ue, on top of / agaru, to go up / noboru, to climb): three kunyomi for different senses
• 下 (shita, under / kudaru, to go down / sagaru, to hang down / oriru, to descend): multiple kunyomi
• 木 (ki, tree / ko-, as in 木立 kodachi, grove): multiple kunyomi

Multiple kunyomi are a significant source of reading difficulty and are not always predictable from context alone.

Kunyomi in Common Nouns

Many fundamental Japanese nouns are wago and their kanji are read with kunyomi:

• 山 (yama, mountain), 川 (kawa, river), 木 (ki, tree), 水 (mizu, water)
• 人 (hito, person — kunyomi; compare onyomi ジン/ニン as in 外国人 gaikokujin)
• 日 (hi, sun/day — kunyomi; compare onyomi ニチ/ジツ as in 今日 konnichi/kyō)

Note: 同訓異字 (dokun-iji) — multiple kanji with the same kunyomi but different meanings — represent a separate challenge:

• hashi can be 橋 (bridge), 笸 (chopsticks), or 端 (edge)
• kaku can be 書く (to write), 描く (to draw/paint), 欠く (to lack), 掌く (to scratch)

Where Kunyomi Appear vs. Onyomi

These are heuristics with exceptions; ultimately, Japanese reading fluency requires recognizing high-frequency words regardless of reading type.

History

Kunyomi were created when Japan adopted Chinese characters but assigned them to existing wago vocabulary — a process documented through the earliest Japanese texts (8th century, Man’yoshu, Nihon Shoki). The writing system that uses kanji for their kunyomi (meaning-reading) was codified through the classical period. The term kan-ji (漢字) refers to “Han characters”; the kun in kunyomi means “meaning/teaching” (訓), contrasting with on (音, “sound”).

Common Misconceptions

• “Kunyomi are always hiragana with okurigana” — Many kunyomi nouns (山、川、木) have no okurigana
• “Kunyomi are simpler/shorter than onyomi” — Some onyomi are short (キ for 気) and some kunyomi are long (おとうと for 弟, younger brother)

Criticisms

• The kunyomi/onyomi system creates substantial reading complexity for learners; proposals for kanji reform or reduction have been periodically raised in Japan
• The existence of multiple kunyomi per kanji (especially homophonous kunyomi with different meanings) is a significant disambiguation burden for readers

Social Media Sentiment

Kunyomi is constantly discussed in the Japanese learning community as one of the most confusing aspects of Japanese literacy. The “when to use kunyomi vs. onyomi” question generates extensive discussion, guides, mnemonic charts, and video tutorials. Last updated: 2026-04

Practical Application

• Prioritize kunyomi learning for verbs and adjectives — these are wago and always use kunyomi
• For reading compound nouns, default to onyomi; for standalone kanji with verb endings, default to kunyomi
• Use Sakubo to build vocabulary through contextual exposure, which naturally trains reading-type recognition

Related Terms

• Onyomi
• Kanji
• Wago
• Jukugo

See Also

• Sakubo

Research

• Shibatani, M. (1990). The Languages of Japan. Cambridge University Press. — Comprehensive account of the Japanese writing system including kunyomi/onyomi.
• Coulmas, F. (1989). The Writing Systems of the World. Blackwell. — Cross-linguistic writing system analysis including the Japanese mixed script system.
• Seeley, C. (1991). A History of Writing in Japan. Brill. — Historical development of the Japanese writing system and assignment of kun and on readings.