<p>The two verbs 念 and 读 have the same meaning in most cases and can be used interchangeably. They both mean &quot;read&quot; in English. The differences between them could be listed as the following.</p>
<p>(1) <strong>念</strong> means read with voice. <strong>读</strong> means read with or without voice. For example,</p>
<p>请把这封信给我<strong>念</strong>一下. (我的眼睛花了, 看不清字了. ) Please read the letter to me. (My eyes are blurred and I can't read the words clearly.)</p>
<p>Using <strong>读</strong> in this sentence is OK because people understand that you must read it with your voice to let the other party hear it.</p>
<p>(2) 你学习的时候，请不要<strong>念</strong>出声来，影响别人。When you are studying, please don't read it aloud to affect others.</p>
<p>(3) <strong>读</strong> can be used in compound words such as 阅读 (read), 朗读(read aloud), 默读(silently read), 速读(speed read), etc. The compound words are somehow fixed, you could not use 念 in those words.</p>
<p>(4) 念书, as a compound word, means &quot;go to school&quot;. For example,</p>
<p>小孩子应该念书, 不应该种地. Children should study, not do farm work.</p>
<p>(5) The word <strong>读</strong> has the mood of reading attentively, carefully, and thoughtfully. For example,</p>
<p>你只是把文章<strong>念</strong>了一遍，并没有<strong>读</strong>懂作者的意思。You just looked through the article but didn't understand the meaning of the author.</p>
<p>In the sentence, <strong>念</strong> means &quot;glance through&quot;, not necessarily &quot;read aloud&quot;. Using <strong>念</strong> here is to highlight <strong>读</strong> in contrast.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-09-05T20:59:57.960Z
Isn't 默念 a valid word? https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E9%BB%98%E5%BF%B5/1383034
Davis Yoshida
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-08-15T13:33:20.933Z
2023-08-15T13:41:03.343Z
2023-08-15T13:41:03.343Z
PdotWang
<p>读 is reading, while 念 is reciting from memory without referring to the text.</p>
<p>念 can also mean rememberance, depending on the context.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-08-16T03:15:14.083Z
2023-08-16T03:15:14.083Z
fat penguin
<p>I think &quot;念“ is more like an order.like the teacher asks students to do something.And it makes people feel uncomfortable.But &quot;读” is used in most situations.</p>
<p>ps: I live in china for 10 years.hope i can help you .</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-08-16T06:55:29.467Z
2023-08-17T09:02:55.303Z
2023-08-17T09:02:55.303Z
Turistan
<p>You may look hinative.com/questions/15426.</p>
<p>There seems to be some confusion here between &quot;read&quot; and &quot;recite&quot;. &quot;read&quot; is not the same as &quot;recite&quot;, at least not in English.</p>
<p>Neither 念 nor 读 on their own mean 'recite'.</p>
<p>They are more or less the same until you use them in combination to make other 2 character words.</p>
<p>请再给我念一遍。<br />
Please read it back to me.</p>
<p>请再给我读一遍。<br />
Please read it back to me.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-08-16T05:59:34.207Z
2023-08-16T06:04:54.943Z
2023-08-16T06:04:54.943Z
Pedroski
<p>The main differences between 念 and 读:</p>
<p>念 - The action of <strong>reading with or without comprehending</strong> the material.</p>
<p>读 - The action of <strong>reading and comprehending</strong> the material.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-08-15T18:20:30.613Z
2023-08-17T11:54:57.147Z
2023-08-17T11:54:57.147Z
r13
<p>You can 念 something without looking at the words, e.g. 念經，念咒， 念詩 (chanting scriptures, chanting spells, reciting poetry)</p>
<p>you must look at the words to 读 (read) something, e.g. 讀書，讀報紙</p>
<p>both 念 and 讀 can be done 'out loud' or 'in the mind' therefore, we have phrases like 回家把課文讀幾遍， 把課文讀出來，朗聲念詩，  and 默念詩句</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-08-15T11:05:35.000Z
2023-08-16T19:17:09.947Z
2023-08-16T19:17:09.947Z
Tang Ho
<p>My thoughts are 念 specifically means reading out loud, emphasis on &quot;out loud&quot;.</p>
<p>读 can be out loud or to oneself, the emphasis is just on &quot;reading&quot;.</p>
<p>If I want someone to read something out loud for me I would say 给我念一下 , but if I say 给我读一下 would that also be interpreted as &quot;read it out loud to me&quot; ?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-08-16T01:01:48.357Z
I add a tag, lexical.
PdotWang
<grammar>
念 vs 读 What is the difference?
# 念 vs 读 What is the difference?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2023-08-15)

My thoughts are 念 specifically means reading out loud, emphasis on "out loud".

读 can be out loud or to oneself, the emphasis is just on "reading".

If I want someone to read something out loud for me I would say 给我念一下 , but if I say 给我读一下 would that also be interpreted as "read it out loud to me" ?

**Tags:** grammar

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I add a tag, lexical.  

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## 6 answers

### Answer by username_7 on 2023-08-15. Score: 7 | Accepted answer

You can 念 something without looking at the words, e.g. 念經，念咒， 念詩 (chanting scriptures, chanting spells, reciting poetry)

you must look at the words to 读 (read) something, e.g. 讀書，讀報紙

both 念 and 讀 can be done 'out loud' or 'in the mind' therefore, we have phrases like 回家把課文讀幾遍， 把課文讀出來，朗聲念詩， and 默念詩句


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### Answer by username_1 on 2023-08-15. Score: 2

The two verbs 念 and 读 have the same meaning in most cases and can be used interchangeably. They both mean "read" in English. The differences between them could be listed as the following.

(1) **念** means read with voice. **读** means read with or without voice. For example,

请把这封信给我**念**一下. (我的眼睛花了, 看不清字了. ) Please read the letter to me. (My eyes are blurred and I can't read the words clearly.)

Using **读** in this sentence is OK because people understand that you must read it with your voice to let the other party hear it.

(2) 你学习的时候，请不要**念**出声来，影响别人。When you are studying, please don't read it aloud to affect others.

(3) **读** can be used in compound words such as 阅读 (read), 朗读(read aloud), 默读(silently read), 速读(speed read), etc. The compound words are somehow fixed, you could not use 念 in those words.

(4) 念书, as a compound word, means "go to school". For example,

小孩子应该念书, 不应该种地. Children should study, not do farm work.

(5) The word **读** has the mood of reading attentively, carefully, and thoughtfully. For example,

你只是把文章**念**了一遍，并没有**读**懂作者的意思。You just looked through the article but didn't understand the meaning of the author.

In the sentence, **念** means "glance through", not necessarily "read aloud". Using **念** here is to highlight **读** in contrast.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Isn't 默念 a valid word? https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E9%BB%98%E5%BF%B5/1383034  

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### Answer by username_3 on 2023-08-16. Score: 1

读 is reading, while 念 is reciting from memory without referring to the text.

念 can also mean rememberance, depending on the context.


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### Answer by username_4 on 2023-08-16. Score: 1

I think "念“ is more like an order.like the teacher asks students to do something.And it makes people feel uncomfortable.But "读” is used in most situations.

ps: I live in china for 10 years.hope i can help you .


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### Answer by username_5 on 2023-08-16. Score: 1

You may look hinative.com/questions/15426.

There seems to be some confusion here between "read" and "recite". "read" is not the same as "recite", at least not in English.

Neither 念 nor 读 on their own mean 'recite'.

They are more or less the same until you use them in combination to make other 2 character words.

请再给我念一遍。  
Please read it back to me.

请再给我读一遍。  
Please read it back to me.


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### Answer by username_6 on 2023-08-15. Score: 1

The main differences between 念 and 读:

念 - The action of **reading with or without comprehending** the material.

读 - The action of **reading and comprehending** the material.


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