On vs Kun

Two Kinds of Kanji Readings

Why does 生 have more than ten different readings? To answer that, you first need to know that most kanji carry two kinds of readings.

On'yomi (音読み) are sound readings. They come from the Chinese pronunciation brought to Japan, so they are short and often sound alike: セイ, ショウ, コウ, カン.

Kun'yomi (訓読み) are meaning readings. They are native Japanese words that were matched to a Chinese character.

Each type tends to appear in a different place in a word. That is the key to guessing readings.

The Compound vs Okurigana Rule

Here is the rule of thumb that follows from where each reading came from.

If a kanji sits in a compound made only of kanji, use on'yomi. 生活 is せいかつ (daily life), and 先生 is せんせい (teacher).

If a kanji stands alone or is followed by hiragana okurigana, use kun'yomi. 生きる is いきる (to live).

Run any unfamiliar N2 word through this check before you guess.

Watch the Rule Work on 生

Test the rule on 生 itself.

In kanji-only compounds, 生 takes on'yomi: 生活 (せいかつ), 先生 (せんせい), and 一生 (いっしょう, a lifetime).

With okurigana, it switches to kun'yomi: 生きる (いきる), 生まれる (うまれる, to be born), 生える (はえる, to grow).

Standing alone, 生 is なま (raw). The hiragana after the kanji, or the lack of other kanji, is your strongest clue.

Why 生 Has So Many Readings

Now the hook makes sense.

Japanese matched 生 to many native words: いきる, うまれる, はえる, なま, and き, as in 生糸 (raw silk). Each match added another kun'yomi.

It also has two on'yomi, セイ and ショウ. They entered Japanese at different times.

Many native meanings plus two layers of Chinese sound give one kanji a very long reading list.

Exceptions to Watch For

The rule is a strong first guess, but some compounds break it.

Jūbako-yomi mixes on then kun: 重箱 (じゅうばこ). Yutō-yomi goes kun then on: 湯桶 (ゆとう).

Some compounds use kun'yomi throughout, such as 手紙 (てがみ) and 生卵 (なまたまご).

Jukujikun words have a special reading for the whole word, like 芝生 (しばふ).

Your N2 Reading Strategy

For the N2 exam, you need a fast, reliable process.

Start with the rule: compound means on'yomi, okurigana means kun'yomi. This gives you a solid guess for most unfamiliar words.

When a word breaks the rule, do not add a new reading to your kanji list. Memorize it as a whole vocabulary item, like 芝生 or 手紙.

Over time, the exceptions become words you simply know.

Kun'yomi readings are _____

• native Japanese words
• Chinese-derived sounds

Answer: native Japanese words

Kun'yomi (訓読み) are 'meaning readings': native Japanese words matched to a Chinese character, like いきる for 生きる. On'yomi (音読み) are the Chinese-derived 'sound readings', such as セイ or ショウ.

In 先生, the kanji 生 uses _____ because it sits in an all-kanji compound. In 生まれる, 生 uses _____ because it is followed by hiragana _____.

Answer: In 先生, the kanji 生 uses on'yomi because it sits in an all-kanji compound. In 生まれる, 生 uses kun'yomi because it is followed by hiragana okurigana.

All-kanji compounds like 先生 (せんせい) usually take on'yomi. When a kanji is followed by hiragana okurigana, as in 生まれる (うまれる), it usually takes kun'yomi.

On an N2 reading test, you see an unfamiliar word written with a single kanji followed by hiragana. What is the best first guess about its reading?

• The kanji is likely read with kun'yomi
• The kanji is likely read with on'yomi
• The kanji is likely a jukujikun reading
• The kanji is likely read as セイ or ショウ

Answer: The kanji is likely read with kun'yomi

A kanji followed by okurigana usually takes kun'yomi, like 生える (はえる) or 生きる (いきる). On'yomi is the default guess for all-kanji compounds instead.