KaiwaGo読 kanji: meaning, readings and stroke order
読 means “read”. It is written with 14 strokes and is a JLPT N5 kanji.
On’yomi: ドク (doku), トク (toku), トウ (tou). Kun’yomi: よ.む (yomu).
How to write 読 (stroke order)
Write 読 in 14 strokes, following the numbers. Each small box adds one stroke; the red line is the stroke to draw.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
General rules: top before bottom, left before right, horizontal before a vertical that crosses it, and a closing bottom stroke last. Writing in the right order makes handwriting readable and helps you count strokes when you look a kanji up.
Practice writing 読
Trace 読 over the faint model with your finger or mouse, following the stroke order above. Turn the model off to write it from memory.
Readings of 読
| On’yomi (Chinese reading) | ドク (doku)トク (toku)トウ (tou) |
|---|---|
| Kun’yomi (Japanese reading) | よ.む (yomu) |
The on’yomi is usually used in compound words, the kun’yomi when 読 stands alone or is followed by hiragana. A dot (.) marks where the hiragana ending starts.
Example words with 読
| Word | Reading | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 読む | よむ yomu | to read | |
| 読書 | どくしょ dokusho | reading (books) |
読む (yomu) means “to read”.
読書 (dokusho) means “reading (books)”. Also in this word: 書
FAQ
What does 読 mean in Japanese?
読 means “read”. Common words with it are 読む (yomu, “to read”) and 読書 (dokusho, “reading (books)”).
How many strokes does 読 have?
読 has 14 strokes. Follow the stroke-order diagram on this page from stroke 1 to 14.
How do you read 読?
The on’yomi is ドク (doku), トク (toku), トウ (tou) and the kun’yomi is よ.む (yomu). Which one is used depends on the word.
Is 読 on the JLPT N5?
Yes. 読 is kanji number 85 of the 101 N5 kanji on this site.