So I am only level two but I just learned 一日. It doesn’t appear to have On and Kun readings but two different readings that Wanikani accepts いちにち and ついたち。I barely understand On and Kun as it is, but how would you know, especially without furigana potentially when to use one or the other? Yes I’ve r…

[image] Haylzpenguin89: So I am only level two but I just learned 一日. It doesn’t appear to have On and Kun readings but two different readings that Wanikani accepts いちにち and ついたち。 On and Kun readings apply to individual kanji. 一日 is a word. In fact, it’s two words that happen to be written th…

This read might help you: [image] Reading kanji? Tips & Tricks Hi, I have a problem. I don’t undertand what is the difference between kanji reading and vocabulary reading? Is this the on’yomi and kun’yomi readings? How to differentaite? Thanks

As far as I know, 一日 is the only one that changes readings when used to represent a number of days. The other day numbers retain 訓読み when counting days if they used it when representing a day of the month.

I had no idea one meant the first day of the month instead of “one day”. I thought they both had the same meaning from the way it was presented. Thank you for your answer, it helps a lot! (So did the others :slight_smile: )

There isn’t a guaranteed way to do this but I do have some strategy for guessing which reading it is. Words containing exposed hiragana, including almost all ichidan/godan verbs, tend to use kun’yomi. (生む) Words containing only one kanji tend to use kun’yomi. (人） Two-kanji compounds are somewhat …

I literally just realize this and I’m on level 9!! I wish I had learned it sooner, because I think I would have learned vocab faster. So far,most vocab with two kanji and no hiragana- are usually onyomi. And onyomi is usually what we are taught first. If there’s a hiragana character after a kanji, i…

wanikani does carefully write hints in this direction in the reading explanation parts of their cards, but it also took me a bit to start noticing that they did and why it was useful to me :wink:

Honestly what’s read as what is just something you pick up from context from a lot of immersing, I don’t think I know many people who have to actively think about which to use at a given time, I’d probably just keep going and not worry about it too much

Can someone explain like I'm 5 how to know when to use readings?

Japanese Language

Tan-Tan-Tanuki April 6, 2026, 7:41pm 2

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Can someone explain like I'm 5 how to know when to use readings?

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