掲示板 Forums - kunyomi/onyomi

How do we know when to use kunyomi and onyomi? they have the same kanji form but the reading and meaning are different

Clues that suggest the kunyomi reading:

- you have kana following the kanji e.g. 古い　(ふる)い

- the kanji is on its own e.g. 水　(みず)

-place names e.g. 長崎 (なが)(さき)

Clues that suggest the onyomi reading:

-multiple kanji together e.g. 水滴　(すい)(てき)

If you come across a word with multiple kanji where one of the kanji uses the kunyomi reading, then usually all the kanji will uses the kunyomi reading i.e. it's unusual for both kunyomi and onyomi to be used in the same word. (When you have compound words that consist of two separate word slapped together this doesn't apply)

None of these are hard rules. There's exceptions to all of them, but they are true most of the time.