The reason why there is Kunyomi
kanji imported about 1500 years ago by China was the letter which was difficult for a Japanese.
The countries around China imported Chinese kanji as it is, but only Japan changed it into "way of reading in accord with Japan" and imported kanji.
The race which took in and used the Chinese character for the language of own country in this way is not other than a Japanese.
Therefore, Japanese may be a difficult language.
Kunyomi is a Japanese original reading.
But there is the case that "kanji that becomes an origin" has various meanings for 1 character.
Therefore, kunyomi isn't one in many cases.
As the example, let's see kanji of Japan with much kunyomi.
Look at left kanji.
It is said that this is "kanji having most Kunyomi" in Japan.
On-yomi
| Pronunciation | Word as example |
生[しょう] : sho |
一生 : issho [one's] lifetime |
生[じょう] : jo |
誕生日 : tanjo-bi Birthday |
生[せい] : sei |
先生 : sensei Teacher |
Kun-yomi
| Pronunciation | Word as meaning or example |
生きる : i-kikru |
live / be living / be alive |
生かす : i-kasu |
keep...alive |
生ける : i-keru |
arrange set roses in a vase. |
生む : u-mu |
cause / lead to / give rise to |
生まれる :u-mareru |
be born / come into existence / be formed / arise |
生える : ha-eru |
grow / sprout / spring up / come in |
生やす : ha-yasu |
grow |
生る : a-ru |
Appearance of the sacred one. |
生る : na-ru |
bear fruit / grow |
生 : nama |
生野菜 : nama-yasai Raw vegetable/Fresh vegetables |
生 : ki |
生真面目 : ki-majime Earnest / Seriousness |
生 : o |
生い立ち : o-i-ta-chi One's background |
生 : fu |
芝生 : shiba-fu Lawn |
生 : ou |
to grow/ to spring up/ to cut teeth |
生 : ubu |
Prefix of noun |
生 : inochi |
[one's] lifetime / Life |
It is said that there is various pronunciation of this kanji besides these.
Besides, It is reported that this is kanji with 150 kinds of reading.
A lot of pronunciations are not used too much in present Japan.
But, most of the pronunciation that I wrote here is daily used in Japan.
Easy method of identifying Kunyomi
I teach the method that is good for you.
"Declensional kana ending is accompanied, and the meaning is comprehensible" is Kunyomi.
Though there is an exception, this method is a method of recognizing Kunyomi most quickly.
"Conversation" is the best learning method for studying Japanese.
The child before entering school learns language in "conversation."
Japanese is also so.
Japanese grammar is very difficult.
You will surely come to hate Japanese if you begin to study Japanese from the grammar.
Therefore, you had better study "Japanese grammar" shallowly.
And I think that study of a "daily conversation subject" is "a shortcut of your Japanese study."
By Hararie
Tokyo Time
