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kun
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Quick Facts
Japanese:
“reading”
In full:
kun’yomi
Related Topics:
kanji
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kun

Japanese writing
Also known as: kun’yomi
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
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History

kun, one of two alternate readings (the other is the on) for a kanji (Chinese ideogram, or character). The ambiguity of a kanji arises from its having two values, the first being the meaning of the original Chinese character from which the kanji is derived and a Chinese pronunciation of the character. In the second (kun) reading the pronunciation given the kanji is a Japanese word or word element, often equivalent to a Chinese understanding of the meaning of the character. Kanji typically have two or more kun readings.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kenneth Pletcher.