读 dú / dòu — comma; phrase marked by pause; to read; to study
我喜欢在睡前读一会儿书。Wǒ xǐ huan zài shuì qián dú yí huìr shū.I like to read for a while before sleeping.
Common words: 读书 (dú shū)、读音 (dú yīn)、读者 (dú zhě)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "to read"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "to read", including 读 (dú / dòu), 阅 (yuè). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "to read" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 读 (dú / dòu), 阅 (yuè) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span dú, dòu, yuè — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 读 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 读 dú / dòucomma; phrase marked by pause; to read; to studyUseful words: 读书, 读音
- 阅 yuèperuse; review; to readUseful words: 阅读, 阅览室
Common words for these 2 "to read" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 读 (dú / dòu) — so "to read" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "to read".
阅 yuè — peruse; review; to read
老师正在认真地批阅作业。Lǎo shī zhèng zài rèn zhēn de pī yuè zuò yè.The teacher is carefully reviewing the homework.
Common words: 阅读 (yuè dú)、阅览室 (yuè lǎn shì)、阅历 (yuè lì)
All 2 characters
Open 读、阅 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.