訓読
くんどく
noun, suru verb
kundoku; reading classical Chinese as Japanese
Conjugation
| Affirmative | Negative | |
|---|---|---|
| Present | 訓読する | 訓読しない |
| Present polite | 訓読します | 訓読しません |
| Past | 訓読した | 訓読しなかった |
| Past polite | 訓読しました | 訓読しませんでした |
| て form | 訓読して | 訓読しなくて |
| ている present | 訓読している | 訓読していない |
| ている polite | 訓読しています | 訓読していません |
| ている past | 訓読していた | 訓読していなかった |
| ている past polite | 訓読していました | 訓読していませんでした |
| Conditional ば | 訓読すれば | 訓読しなければ |
| Conditional たら | 訓読したら | 訓読しなかったら |
| Volitional | 訓読しよう | — |
| Volitional polite | 訓読しましょう | — |
| Potential | 訓読できる | 訓読できない |
| Passive | 訓読される | 訓読されない |
| Causative | 訓読させる | 訓読させない |
| Imperative | 訓読しろ | 訓読するな |
1.
kundoku; reading classical Chinese as Japanese
The traditional technique of reading a classical Chinese text (漢文) directly as Japanese: the reader follows marks that reorder the words into Japanese order and supplies particles and verb endings. It is taught in Japanese high schools as part of classical literature.
The method of reading classical Chinese in Japanese word order is taught in high school classics class.
Using the reordering marks as a guide, I tried reading the classical Chinese text as Japanese.
訓読 names the method of reading 漢文 as Japanese. Marks added to the Chinese text, such as 返り点 (reordering marks) and 送り仮名, tell the reader what order to read in and which endings to add. Writing the result out in kanji and kana gives a 書き下し文.
Common collocations
- 漢文を訓読する: to read a classical Chinese text as Japanese
- 漢文訓読: kanbun kundoku (the full term)
- 訓読文: a text in kundoku style
Watch out
The spelling 訓読, without み, is sometimes read くんよみ as a variant of 訓読み, the native Japanese reading of a single kanji (as in 山 read やま). Read くんどく, the word means only the reading of classical Chinese. For a kanji's kun reading, use 訓読み, paired with 音読み.
Related Words
Compare:
訓読み (kun reading of a kanji)
Related:
漢文 (classical Chinese text)
Related:
書き下し文 (kanbun rendered in Japanese)