“to read” in Japanese is 読, read doku, toku, tou (どく, とく, とう, よ). It is a Grade 2 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 2 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 読書 (reading).
What does 読 mean?
毎晩、本を読む。
| Kanji | 読 |
|---|---|
| Meaning | to read |
| Readings | どく, とく, とう, よ |
| Grade | Grade 2 (Easy) |
| Curriculum | Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school |
| Example | 読書 (reading) |
読 is read doku (どく) or toku (とく) or tou (とう) or yo (よ) depending on the word.
Same sound, different character — the classic trap. Compare them side by side: