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How can I know the difference between ON and KUN (kanji)? When I was learning Kanji it tells me the meaning the ON and KUN. But also the ON and KUN are different and it can mean different things. So how can I read Kanji if I don't know if it is ON or KUN?
Mar 24, 2012 6:36 PM
Answers · 2
1
In general, knowing when to use the onyomi or kunyomi will come with increasing familiarity with the spoken language, but there are a few patterns which hold true in most cases. The presence of okurigana (kana attached to the end of the kanji) tends to signal use of the kunyomi. Particularly, this holds true for verbs, in fact, I've yet to encounter a verb stem which is not kunyomi. When more than one kanji in a row is used to express a single concept, the onyomi are typically used. For example: 食べる - TAberu - to eat (kunyomi) 食堂 - SHOkudou - cafeteria - (onyomi) Rules beyond those two become a bit more haphazard. Single kanji words and adjectives are kunyomi more often than not, but there are innumerable exceptions. Numbers tend to be onyomi, except with the counter つ, but the kunyomi for 4 and 7 are often used for stylistic reasons. Some kanji have only an onyomi (such as 気) or kunyomi (such as 緑). Some kanji have multiple readings of either class...
March 24, 2012
March 26, 2012
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