读 meaning and stroke order
To read out; to read aloud; to read; to attend (school); to study (a subject in school)
How to write 读, stroke by stroke
10 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
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- 10
Meaning of 读
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to read out; to read aloud
- to read
- to attend (school); to study (a subject in school)
- to pronounce
- comma
- phrase marked by pause
How 读 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. To show off 卖 one's literacy 讠.
Radical: 讠 (words), shared by 144 characters on this site.
How to remember 读
读 is made of 讠 (speech) and 卖 (mài, to sell). The hint says it shows someone "selling" or showing off their literacy by speaking words out loud, which is reading.
读 (dú) covers reading, reading aloud, and studying at school. It often appears in 读书 (dúshū), which can mean reading a book or simply being a student. Example: 我在北京读大学。(Wǒ zài Běijīng dú dàxué.) I go to university in Beijing.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 读 with 卖 (mài, to sell) and 买 (mǎi, to buy). Only 读 has the speech radical 讠 on the left. Also, 卖 has a 十 on top, and 读 keeps that 十 in its right side, so do not drop it.
Common words with 读
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 读书 | dúshū | to read a book; to study | HSK 1 |
| 读音 | dúyīn | pronunciation; literary (rather than colloquial) pronunciation of a Chinese character | HSK 2 |
| 读者 | dúzhě | reader | HSK 3 |
| 阅读 | yuèdú | to read | HSK 4 |
| 朗读 | lǎngdú | to read aloud | HSK 5 |
| 解读 | jiědú | to decipher; to decode | HSK 7-9 |
| 宣读 | xuāndú | to read out loud to an audience; a prepared speech (e.g. to a party conference) | HSK 7-9 |
| 就读 | jiùdú | to go to school | HSK 7-9 |
| 攻读 | gōngdú | to major (in a field); to study a specialty to obtain a higher degree | HSK 7-9 |
| 默读 | mòdú | to read in silence | HSK 7-9 |
| 在读 | zàidú | to be studying (at a school or research institute) | |
| 读取 | dúqǔ | (of a computer etc) to read (data) | |
| 读数 | dúshù | reading; data from meter | |
| 读懂 | dúdǒng | to read and understand |
读 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 读
How many strokes are in 读?
读 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 读 mean?
读 (dú) means to read out; to read aloud; to read; to attend (school); to study (a subject in school). A common word with it is 读书 (dúshū), meaning "to read a book; to study".
How do you pronounce 读?
读 is pronounced dú, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 读?
The radical of 读 is 讠, which carries the idea of "words". Dictionaries list 读 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 读?
The traditional form of 读 is 讀. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 读 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 读 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 读 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
What is the difference between 读 and 看 for reading?
看 (kàn) is the everyday word for reading silently, as in 看书 (kànshū). 读 (dú) often suggests reading aloud or more formal, serious reading and studying.
When is 读 pronounced dòu?
The reading dòu is rare and literary. It refers to a pause or comma within a sentence, as in the old term 句读 (jùdòu), punctuation and phrasing in classical texts. In daily use it is almost always dú.