Which one should you use?
While 読んでいます describes an action currently in progress, the form 読みます is used to describe a future intention or a habitual action.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a more casual way to say "reading" with friends or family, you can use the version 読んでる, which is achieved by dropping the polite auxiliary います. There are also other ways to express this state depending on the level of formality: Watashi wa dokusho shite iru. is an informal way to say "I am reading", while Watakushi wa dokusho o shite orimasu. is a formal expression meaning "I am in the state of reading."
How does it change in a sentence?
The form 読んでいます is constructed using the te-form of the verb 読む (to read) followed by the auxiliary verb いる (to be/exist) to indicate a continuous action.
How do you pronounce it?
yonde imasu
Did you know?
- The verb 読む 'yomu' is used not just for books, but also for 'reading' the atmosphere. The phrase 空気を読む 'kuuki o yomu' means to sense the social mood and act accordingly.
- The kanji for 'read', 読, contains the radical for 'speech' or 'words' on the left side. This visually represents the connection between the written symbols and the spoken language.
- The most formal version しております 'shite orimasu' uses a humble verb form. This implies the speaker is lowering their own status relative to the person they are speaking to.
Examples in context
- 今、本を読んでいます。ima, hon o yondeimasu.I am reading a book now.
- 雑誌を読んでいます。zasshi o yondeimasu.I am reading a magazine.
- メールを読んでいます。mēru o yondeimasu.I am reading an email.
Example conversation
At a cafe, Kenta asks Himari what she is doing.
- 陽葵 Himari健太さん、何をしていますか？Kenta-san, nani o shite imasu ka?Kenta, what are you doing?
- 健太 Kenta新聞を読んでいます。shinbun o yondeimasu.I am reading a newspaper.
- 陽葵 Himari面白いですか？omoshiroi desu ka?Is it interesting?
- 健太 Kentaはい、とても面白いです。hai, totemo omoshiroi desu.Yes, it is very interesting.
