Translation guide
How to express the idea of completing the act of reading something in Japanese, depending on what is being read and the nuance.
To express that you have read something to the end, such as a book, article, or document.
The most common and natural way to say 'finish reading' something. It combines 読む (to read) with 終わる (to finish).
昨日、その本を読み終わりました。
I finished reading that book yesterday.
この記事を読み終わったら、電話します。
I'll call you when I finish reading this article.
A more formal or literary way to say 'finish reading', often used in written contexts or when discussing books.
彼はその小説を読了した。
He finished reading the novel.
Emphasizes reading something completely, often implying it was long or challenging. 切る adds the nuance of doing something to the end.
この長いレポートをやっと読み切りました。
I finally finished reading this long report.
To express finishing reading something out loud, such as a story to a child or a passage in class.
Works for both silent and aloud reading. Context clarifies the mode.
子供に絵本を読み終わりました。
I finished reading the picture book to my child.
Specifically refers to finishing a recitation or reading aloud, often in a formal setting.
彼女は詩の朗読を終えた。
She finished reciting the poem.
To express that you have read a message, email, or notification, often implying you have seen it.
Commonly used for digital messages, especially in apps like LINE. It means to mark as read or to have read a message.
メッセージを既読にしたけど、返事はまだ。
I read the message but haven't replied yet.
Simple past tense of 'read', often used for emails. Can imply finishing reading.
さっきメールを読んだよ。
I just read your email.
読み終わる is the everyday, neutral way to say 'finish reading'. 読了する is formal and often used in literary or academic contexts, like book reviews or reading logs.
日常会話では「読み終わった」が自然です。
In daily conversation, 'yomiowatta' is natural.
Simply saying 読んだ (read) can imply finishing reading if the context is clear, but to be explicit, use 読み終わった.
その本、もう読んだ？
Have you read that book already?