Japanese symbol for “decipher”
読む
よむ
Romaji: yomu
to read
In Japanese, decipher is 読む, read よむ (yomu).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- v5m, vt to read
- v5m, vt to recite (e.g. a sutra); to chant
- v5m, vt to predict; to guess; to forecast; to read (someone's thoughts); to see (e.g. into someone's heart); to divine
- v5m, vt to pronounce; to read (e.g. a kanji)
- v5m, vt to decipher; to read (a meter, graph, music, etc.); to tell (the time)
- v5m, vt to count; to estimate
Written forms: 読む、讀む、訓む. Readings: よむ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “decipher”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 読み解く | よみとく yomitoku | to decipher; to decode |
| 判じる | はんじる hanjiru | to solve; to decipher; to puzzle out |
| 判ずる | はんずる hanzuru | to solve; to decipher; to puzzle out |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 読み | よみ yomi | reading |
| 読者 | どくしゃ dokusha | reader |
| 読書 | どくしょ dokusho | reading (books) |
| 朗読 | ろうどく roudoku | reading aloud; recitation |
| 読み方 | よみかた yomikata | pronunciation; reading (e.g. of a kanji) |
See also: Chinese symbol for “decipher”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.