Japanese reference
読む
よむ
to read
Regular · 34 form tables
Rows describe verb forms and levels of politeness. Honorific and humble forms are labeled separately. Strong commands appear under additional forms.
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Basic
Non past
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Dictionary form | よむ (yomu)read (plain) |
| Polite, masu | よみます (yomimasu)read (polite) |
Negative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Negative, nai | よまない (yomanai)do not read (plain) |
| Polite negative | よみません (yomimasen)do not read (polite) |
Past
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Past, ta | よんだ (yonda)read (past, plain) |
| Polite past | よみました (yomimashita)read (past, polite) |
Past negative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Past negative | よまなかった (yomanakatta)did not read (plain) |
| Polite past negative | よみませんでした (yomimasendeshita)did not read (polite) |
Linking
Te form
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Te-form | よんで (yonde)read and ... |
| Polite te-form | よみまして (yomimashite)reading (and then) |
Te iru
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Te-iru: ongoing action / resulting state | よんでいる (yondeiru)be reading |
| Polite te-iru | よんでいます (yondeimasu)be reading |
Conditional, ba
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Conditional, ba | よめば (yomeba)if (you) read |
| Rare literary polite conditional | よみますれば (yomimasureba)if you read (rare and literary). In ordinary polite conversation, use the plain conditional and make the main clause polite |
Conditional, tara
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Conditional, tara | よんだら (yondara)if (you) read; after reading |
| Polite conditional, tara | よみましたら (yomimashitara)if you read |
Mood
Potential
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Potential | よめる (yomeru)can read |
| Polite potential | よめます (yomemasu)can read |
Volitional
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Volitional | よもう (yomou)let's read |
| Polite volitional | よみましょう (yomimashou)let's read! |
Desire, tai
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Desire, tai | よみたい (yomitai)want to read |
| Polite desire, tai | よみたいです (yomitaidesu)want to read |
Voice
Passive
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Passive | よまれる (yomareru)be read |
| Polite passive | よまれます (yomaremasu)be read |
Causative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Causative | よませる (yomaseru)make or let someone read |
| Polite causative | よませます (yomasemasu)make or let someone read |
Causative passive
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Causative-passive | よませられる (yomaserareru)be made to read |
| Polite causative-passive | よませられます (yomaseraremasu)be made to read |
Commands
Negative imperative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Negative imperative | よむな (yomuna)do not read! |
| Polite negative request | よまないでください (yomanaidekudasai)please do not read |
Polite
Polite non past
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Polite non-past form | よみます (yomimasu)read |
Polite negative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Polite negative form | よみません (yomimasen)do not read |
Polite past
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Polite past form | よみました (yomimashita)read |
Polite past negative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Polite past negative form | よみませんでした (yomimasendeshita)did not read |
Requests
Request with kudasai
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Request with kudasai | よんでください (yondekudasai)please read |
Negative request
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Request not to act | よまないでください (yomanaidekudasai)please do not read |
Invitation with mashou
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Invitation with mashou | よみましょう (yomimashou)let's read! |
Permission
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Permission | よんでもいい (yondemoii)may read |
| Polite permission | よんでもいいです (yondemoiidesu)may read |
Not allowed
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Not allowed | よんではいけない (yondehaikenai)must not read |
| Polite prohibition | よんではいけません (yondehaikemasen)must not read |
Instruction with nasai
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Instruction with nasai | よみなさい (yominasai)read (instruction) |
Aspect
Try doing
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Try doing | よんでみる (yondemiru)try to read |
| Polite try doing | よんでみます (yondemimasu)try to read |
Completion or regret
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Completion or regret | よんでしまう (yondeshimau)read completely or regrettably |
| Polite completion or regret | よんでしまいます (yondeshimaimasu)read completely or regrettably |
Preparation
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Preparation | よんでおく (yondeoku)read in advance |
| Polite preparation | よんでおきます (yondeokimasu)read in advance |
Past experience
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Past experience | よんだことがある (yondakotogaaru)have the experience of: read |
| Polite past experience | よんだことがあります (yondakotogaarimasu)have the experience of: read |
Conditions
Automatic result, to
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Automatic result, to | よむと (yomuto)whenever you read |
| Polite automatic result | よみますと (yomimasuto)whenever you read |
Given that, nara
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Given that, nara | よむなら (yomunara)if you mean to read |
Probability
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Probability | よむだろう (yomudarou)probably read |
| Polite probability | よむでしょう (yomudeshou)probably read |
Respect
Honorific
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Honorific | およみになる (oyomininaru)read (honoring the subject) |
| Polite honorific | およみになります (oyomininarimasu)read (honoring the subject) |
Humble
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Humble | およみする (oyomisuru)read (humbly) |
| Polite humble | およみします (oyomishimasu)read (humbly) |
Additional forms
Strong command
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Imperative | よめ (yome)read! (command) |
| Polite request | よんでください (yondekudasai)please read |
Forms from the Loquus reference. Only supplied forms are shown. Browse all Japanese entries.