Kan-on

Kan-on (漢音) is one of the major groups of Sino-Japanese readings (on'yomi) of Chinese characters (kanji) in the Japanese language. It represents the pronunciation of Chinese during the Tang dynasty, particularly the dialect of the capital city of Chang'an (modern-day Xi'an).

Kan-on readings are generally considered to be the most "classical" and are often favored in scholarly contexts, particularly when dealing with older texts. They entered Japan primarily during the 7th and 8th centuries, later than the Go-on readings.

Key characteristics of Kan-on include a more precise and nuanced differentiation of sounds compared to Go-on. For example, characters pronounced with a voiced consonant in Middle Chinese often retain a distinction between voiced and unvoiced in Kan-on, whereas the Go-on readings often neutralize this distinction. Similarly, the Kan-on readings tend to preserve more phonetic features from Middle Chinese than Go-on.

Distinguishing between Kan-on and other on'yomi like Go-on and Tō-on can be challenging. Dictionaries often indicate the on'yomi, but memorization and familiarity with common patterns are often required. Many kanji have multiple on'yomi, with one typically being the Kan-on reading, and the choice of reading can affect the meaning and nuance of the word. The use of Kan-on contributes to the richness and complexity of the Japanese language.