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HSK 1

读

to read; to study

verbneutral
读
dú2nd tone

HSK level

1
2
3
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6
Pinyin
dú
Part of speech
verb
Level
HSK 1
Strokes
10
Register
neutral

Stroke order for 读

读 is written with 10 strokes. The animation replays automatically.

What does 读 mean?

读 (dú) means 'to read' — both reading text silently and reading aloud — and by extension 'to study (at a school).'

Use 读书 (dú shū) to say 'read a book,' but be aware that 读书 also commonly means 'to be a student / be in school,' so 他在北京读书 can mean 'he's studying in Beijing,' not literally 'he reads books in Beijing.' Two contrasts matter: 读 vs 看书 — 读 leans toward reading-as-an-activity, often aloud or studious; 看书 (kàn shū, 'look at a book') is the more casual everyday 'I'm reading.'

读 vs 念 (niàn) — 念 is more strongly 'recite/read aloud,' while 读 covers both silent and aloud. Teachers often instruct 跟我读 ('repeat after me, read aloud').

Memory hook: The 言 (speech) radical on the left reminds you that 读 originally meant reading aloud — words coming out of your mouth.

Example sentences

我喜欢读书。

Wǒ xǐhuān dú shū.

I like to read.

neutral

他在北京读大学。

Tā zài Běijīng dú dàxué.

He's studying at university in Beijing.

neutral

请你读一下。

Qǐng nǐ dú yīxià.

Please read it aloud.

spoken, polite

我每天读中文。

Wǒ měitiān dú Zhōngwén.

I read Chinese every day.

neutral

Common phrases with 读

读书dú shūto read a book; to study; be in school
读大学dú dàxuéto attend university
读报dú bàoto read the newspaper
朗读lǎngdúto read aloud
读一下dú yīxiàgive it a read; read it briefly

Synonyms

看kàn

看 ('look at / read') is the casual everyday verb for reading: 看书, 看报. 读 sounds more active or scholastic — reading aloud, studying, or formally engaging with a text. 'I'm reading right now' is usually 我在看书, not 我在读书.

念niàn

念 emphasizes reading ALOUD or reciting (and also 'to study' in some regions). A teacher saying 'read it out' = 念一下 / 读一下. Silent reading is 读 or 看, never 念.

学习xuéxí

学习 is 'to study/learn' in the general sense. 读书 overlaps with 学习 when it means 'being a student,' but 读 specifically involves a text.

Don't confuse 读 with

看kàn

看 is 'to look / to watch,' the more general visual verb. You 看 a movie or 看 a friend, but you don't 读 either. You can 看书 OR 读书; the second sounds more deliberate.

卖mài

卖 ('to sell') is the phonetic component inside 读. Beginners sometimes write 读 when they mean 买 (mǎi, 'to buy') or 卖. Watch the 言 radical — only 读 has it.

FAQ

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