readings
Which Kanji Readings Should You Learn First?
By Kanji Guide ·
Short answer: Learn the reading that appears in the first common word you meet, and learn it together with that word. In practice that means one or two readings per kanji at first, usually one on’yomi from a compound and one kun’yomi from a word written with the kanji alone or with kana. Rare readings can wait until a word you need uses them.
Dictionaries list every reading a kanji has, which makes some kanji look impossible. 生 (life) has more readings than most learners will ever use. Here is how to decide what to learn now and what to leave for later.
A quick reminder: on and kun
Each kanji can have readings of two kinds:
- On’yomi (音読み) came from Chinese. Dictionaries usually write them in katakana. They appear mostly in compounds of two or more kanji: 学生 (がくせい, student).
- Kun’yomi (訓読み) are native Japanese words matched to the kanji. They appear when the kanji stands alone or is followed by kana: 生きる (いきる, to live).
For the full explanation, see on’yomi vs kun’yomi explained. This article is about priority.
Rule 1: learn readings inside words
A reading on its own is a sound with nothing attached to it. A reading inside a word has a meaning and a use. Compare:
- “食 = ショク, た.べる” (two sounds to memorise)
- “食べる (たべる, to eat) and 食事 (しょくじ, a meal)” (two words you can use tomorrow)
The second version teaches the same two readings and gives you vocabulary as well. Kanji Guide shows example words under every kanji for this reason.
Rule 2: start with the most common word
For each new kanji, pick the word you are most likely to see and learn its reading. Some examples from the N5 level:
| Kanji | First word to learn | Reading used |
|---|---|---|
| 日 | 日本 (にほん, Japan) and 日 (ひ, day/sun) | on and kun |
| 人 | 日本人 (にほんじん, Japanese person) and 人 (ひと, person) | on and kun |
| 上 | 上 (うえ, above) | kun |
| 下 | 下 (した, below) | kun |
| 行 | 行く (いく, to go) | kun |
| 学 | 大学 (だいがく, university) | on |
Notice that the table does not try to cover every reading. 上 also has ジョウ, as in 上手 (じょうず, skilful), and you will learn that the day you meet the word.
Rule 3: one on and one kun is enough for now
As a default, aim for one on reading and one kun reading for each kanji, if both are common. Some kanji only have one that matters at your level:
When a kanji has only an on reading, or only a kun reading in common use, learn just that one.
Rule 4: let rare readings come to you
Readings found in names, old words, or one fixed expression are not worth memorising up front. They are the reason reading lists look so long. If you study through vocabulary and reading, you will meet the important ones naturally and in context, which is also when they are easiest to remember.
Special readings (熟字訓) such as 今日 (きょう, today) or 大人 (おとな, adult) belong to whole words, not to single kanji. Learn them as words.
Rule 5: use patterns as hints, not laws
Two patterns are worth knowing:
- Kanji plus kana (okurigana) usually means a kun reading: 食べる, 上がる, 生きる.
- Two or more kanji together usually means on readings: 食事, 学生, 人口.
These hold often enough to help you guess, and break often enough that you should still check the word. For guessing the on reading of an unknown kanji, phonetic components are another useful tool.
A simple routine
- Learn the kanji’s meaning with a story or mnemonic.
- Add one common word, with its reading.
- If a second common word uses the other type of reading, add it too.
- Review the words, not a list of readings.
- When you meet a new reading in the wild, add that word to your reviews.
This keeps the number of things you memorise low, and every reading you learn is attached to a word you can use.
Common worries
“I learned the meaning but not the reading. Is that wasted?” No. Recognising meaning first and adding readings through vocabulary is a common approach. See kanji or vocabulary first.
“The JLPT asks for readings.” It does, inside words. Learning readings through words is the format the test uses.
Where to go next
Each kanji page in Kanji Guide lists on and kun readings with example words, for example 生 or 行. To study the N5 words in order, see the JLPT N5 kanji list, or open the study app, which works in a phone browser and as an iPhone app.
Kanji from this guide
Questions people ask
Should I learn on'yomi or kun'yomi first?
Neither as a rule. Learn the reading used in the first common word you meet with the kanji. For a kanji that stands alone as a word, that is often the kun reading; in compounds it is usually the on reading.
Do I need to memorise every reading of a kanji?
No. Many listed readings are rare or used only in a few words or names. Learn the readings that appear in words you actually use, and add others when you meet them.
How do I know which reading is used in a word?
Learn the word with its reading. As a rough pattern, kanji written alone or followed by kana often take the kun reading, and two-kanji compounds often take the on reading, but there are many exceptions.