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Questions & Answers about kounou o yomu.
How do you read 効能?
It is read こうのう.
In this kind of sentence, 効能 usually means something like efficacy, benefits, or medicinal effects. You often see it on medicine, supplements, cosmetics, or product descriptions.
What does the particle を do in this sentence?
を marks the direct object of the verb.
So in 効能を読む, the thing being read is 効能. In other words:
- 効能 = the thing you read
- 読む = to read
A very literal breakdown is read the efficacy/benefits information.
Why is を pronounced お?
This is a standard feature of modern Japanese pronunciation.
The particle is written を, but in normal modern speech it is pronounced お. So:
- 効能を読む
- pronounced: こうのう を よむ
- actual sound: こうのう お よむ
Learners usually still refer to it as the を particle, even though its pronunciation is basically お.
Why is the verb 読む instead of 読みます?