読む means “read”. Use it when reading a book, a newspaper or a story aloud to someone.

The idea

読む is a godan verb: 読みます is polite non-past, 読みました is polite past and 読んで is the て-form. Mark the text with を; に can mark the person you read to, while で can mark where reading takes place.

Patterns to compare
JapaneseForm
読よむDictionary form
読よみますPolite non-past
読よみませんPolite negative
読よみましたPolite past
読よんでて-form
読よまないPlain negative

Examples

  • 毎晩まいばん本ほんを読よみます。I read a book every evening.
  • 電車でんしゃで新聞しんぶんを読よみます。I read the newspaper on the train.
  • 弟おとうとに絵本えほんを読よみます。I read a picture book to my younger brother.
  • ゆっくり声こえに出だして読よんでください。Please read aloud slowly.
  • 昨日きのうこの本ほんを読よみました。I read this book yesterday.
  • 今日きょうは新聞しんぶんを読よみません。I will not read the newspaper today.

Read-aloud uses a synthetic Japanese voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.

Watch out

The て-form is 読んで, with voiced で, not 読んて. The similar-sounding 呼ぶ means “call” and is a different verb.

Try it yourself

  1. 本ほん＿読よみます。（を／に） Choose the particle in brackets.

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    を

    を marks 本 as the text being read; に does not mark the direct object here.

  2. この本ほんを＿ください。（読よむ） Complete the request with the て-form of the verb.

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    読んで / よんで

    The む ending becomes んで: 本を読んでください asks someone to read the book.

  3. 昨日きのう、新聞しんぶんを＿。（読よむ） Complete with the polite past of the verb.

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    読みました / よみました

    読みました is the polite past of 読む, which fits the time word 昨日.

Use it today

Say what you read and where you read it. Then ask someone politely to read a book aloud.