1.
special kanji compound reading where the reading applies to the whole compound rather than individual characters
A type of kanji reading where a group of kanji characters is read as a single Japanese word based on meaning rather than the standard readings of each individual character. For example, 大人 read as おとな rather than the expected だいじん or おおひと.
Jukujikun readings cannot be guessed from the readings of the individual kanji.
Compound of 熟字 ('compound character group') and 訓 ('kun reading; native Japanese reading'). A linguistic term describing one of the most distinctive features of the Japanese writing system: kanji compounds whose reading is based on meaning rather than standard character-by-character pronunciation.
Usage
- Well-known examples include: 大人 ('adult'), 今日 ('today'), 昨日 ('yesterday'), 明日 ('tomorrow'), 果物 ('fruit'), 土産 ('souvenir'), 紅葉 ('autumn leaves').
- These readings must be memorized individually because they cannot be derived from the on'yomi or kun'yomi of the component kanji.
- Appears in language textbooks, kanji study guides, and the 漢字検定 (Kanji Proficiency Test) as a specific category of knowledge.
Common collocations
Similar words
- 音読み: on'yomi — the Sino-Japanese reading of kanji, derived from Chinese pronunciation
- 訓読み: kun'yomi — the native Japanese reading assigned to individual kanji
- 当て字: ateji — kanji used for their sound rather than meaning, the conceptual opposite of 熟字訓
- 難読: hard-to-read — a broader category of kanji or words that are difficult to read correctly
Related Words
Compare:
音読み (on'yomi)
Compare:
訓読み (kun'yomi)
Compare:
当て字 (ateji)
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難読 (hard-to-read)