arch9443
Member
From: 夢の国
Registered: 2010-04-14
Posts: 153
So I'm beginning to get a little confused with Kanji that have multiple readings that mean the same thing. for example.
大 - だい、 おお
So if I wanted to call my dog, big dog(which I do a lot in english) would I say だい犬 or
おお犬
And another one that has confused me recently is 中. I see it frequently in firefox, because it says 読み込み中 I don't know if I should pronounce it よみこみうち or よみこみなか
So I'm wondering if there is a correct way to say these things, depending on the situation or if it is largely up to preference on part of the speaker.
Asriel
Member
From: 東京
Registered: 2008-02-26
Posts: 1343
As a general rule, although not always true, if it's in a compound, then the kanji will be pronounced with it's onyomi. Names are often kunyomi.
If you were going to say big dog, it would be おおきい いぬ most likely.
Its generally not the discretion of the speaker, but rather whatthe word itself is.
More than one kanji in a row: onyomi
word with one kanji and hiragana: kunyomi
it's just a rule of thumb, but something that you will get used to pretty quick
Aijin
Member
From: California
Registered: 2009-05-29
Posts: 648
When you know a word well your brain won't process it in terms of readings, but rather the word will exist as a single unit. When you see 雨 you will simply automatically read "あめ” when you see 大雨 you will simply read "おおあめ” and when you see 雨後 you will think "うご” as the brain will directly llink the written form to the sound. You will not have to think "Okay...大雨...is it おおあめ, or だいう, or..." or whether or not to use which reading for which kanji once the word is embedded in your mind, just as when you see a word you know in English you don't need to even consider the pronunciation, as you've already memorized the corresponding pronunciation to the word, and it exists as a single unit.
I suppose what I am trying to say, is that in the end you simply have to learn each word. There are patterns for which reading is used, but there are so many exceptions that it mostly negates that fact. I often get asked by students, "How do you know which reading to use when you see a word?" and the simple answer is: you can't for sure. Even us native speakers incorrectly guess the readings of a words we don't know.
My best suggestion is to stick to the general rules of thumb while learning each word for what it is.
