Post
by Hektor6766 » Wed 06.05.2013 11:06 pm
kanji readings are a matter of customary usage, and therefore you'll always have exceptions to any rules. usually, kunyomi (kun or native reading) is used for verbs and single character nouns, particularly for things Japanese have long had words for: basic phenomena such as wind, rain, etc. But not always. Generally, onyomi (Chinese reading) are used for compounds, but again, not always. The different onyomi come from the dynastic eras in which they were brought over: The oldest are from the Han dynasty, the ones used most frequently are from the Tang, and still others came over later. They are all used to some extent; so while the Tang reading are more frequently encountered, you'll encounter the others not infrequently. The history and construction of Kanji are interesting, but you'll be better served by reading and absorbing the actual words rather than trying to find rules and standards to rely on.