読む|よむyomu[1]atamadaka (head-high)
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Definitions
- godan verb, transitive verbto read
- godan verb, transitive verbto recite (e.g. a sutra); to chant
- godan verb, transitive verbto predict; to guess; to forecast; to read (someone's thoughts); to see (e.g. into someone's heart); to divine
- godan verb, transitive verbto pronounce; to read (e.g. a kanji)
- godan verb, transitive verbto decipher; to read (a meter, graph, music, etc.); to tell (the time)
- godan verb, transitive verbto count; to estimatenow mostly used in idioms
- godan verb, transitive verbto read (a kanji) with its native Japanese readingalso written as 訓む
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 読む（よむ） |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 読みます（よみます） |
| Negative (nai) | 読まない（よまない） |
| polite (masen) | 読みません（よみません） |
| classical zu / nu | 読まず・読まぬ（よまず・よまぬ） |
| Past (ta) | 読んだ（よんだ） |
| polite (mashita) | 読みました（よみました） |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 読まなかった（よまなかった） |
| polite (masen deshita) | 読みませんでした（よみませんでした） |
| Te form | 読んで（よんで） |
| Potential | 読める（よめる） |
| Passive | 読まれる（よまれる） |
| Causative | 読ませる（よませる） |
| Causative passive | 読ませられる・読まされる（よませられる・よまされる） |
| Conditional (ba) | 読めば（よめば） |
| tara | 読んだら（よんだら） |
| Volitional | 読もう（よもう） |
| polite (mashou) | 読みましょう（よみましょう） |
| Imperative | 読め（よめ） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Synonyms & antonyms
- Synonym読み取るよみとるNeutralFor reading deeper meaning — grasping intentions or feelings — or for machines reading data, as in 「意図を読み取る」; the focus is on comprehension.
- Synonym読み取りよみとりNeutralNoun, mostly for machines such as scanners reading information, as in 「バーコードの読み取り」.
- Related解釈かいしゃくNeutralInterpretation: explaining or understanding the meaning of a text or matter, as in 「法律の解釈」; centers on how something is understood, not the act of reading.
- Related閲覧えつらんNeutralConsulting documents or browsing web pages, as in 「閲覧室」; typical of libraries and the internet, not general reading.
- Related拝見はいけんFormalHumble equivalent of 「見る」 for looking at the other person's letters or materials, as in 「お手紙拝見しました」; formal and polite.
- Related読書どくしょNeutralThe activity of reading books, as in 「読書が趣味」; its object is limited to books, while 読む takes any text.
- Related読み込むよみこむNeutralReading a text carefully and repeatedly, or reading unspoken meaning into words; also used for computers loading data.
- Related紐解くひもとくWrittenLiterary: to open a book and read, or to unravel a mystery or uncover facts, as in 「歴史を紐解く」; elegant, written flavor.
- Related閲読えつどくWrittenWritten/formal word for reading documents thoroughly; not used in everyday speech.
- Related多読たどくNeutralExtensive reading — reading widely and in large amounts, as in 「多読学習」; the opposite of intensive reading.
- Related拝読はいどくFormalHumble equivalent of 「読む」 for reading the other person's writing or letters, as in 「ご著書を拝読しました」; formal and polite.
- Related披見ひけんWrittenWritten/formal word for opening and reading a document; not used in everyday speech.
- Related書見しょけんWrittenOld-fashioned word for reading books; rarely used in modern Japanese.
For reading, 「読む」 is the default. Use 「読書」 for the activity of reading books, 「閲覧」 for consulting documents or web pages, 「読み取る」 for grasping deeper meaning, 「拝読」 to humbly speak of reading someone's writing, and 「拝見」 for looking at their things.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
See also
