The Tofugu Podcast: Japan and Japanese Language cover image

What's the Difference Between On'yomi and Kun'yomi Kanji?

The Tofugu Podcast: Japan and Japanese Language

CHAPTER

The Toku Gaa Readings Aren't Really Chinese

Japan has a lot less sounds. It's less diverse than chinese. Chinese has am phonems in their pitches. They have basically each pitch can mean something different. So all these readings are also getting simplified into the japanese words that they could use theyr phones. Dumb down is the wrong word, but when you're taking something that's really diverse and making it into something smaller confines, it's kind of what it is.

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