聞く
きく·kiku
Meaning
to listen; to hear; to ask (a question)
Nuance & Usage
聞く has two primary meanings: (1) to listen/hear, and (2) to ask. Context clarifies which is intended. For attentive listening (especially to music), the kanji 聴く is sometimes used. Common patterns: 音楽を聞く (listen to music), 先生に聞く (ask the teacher), 話を聞く (listen to what someone says). The humble form is 伺う (ukagau — to ask/inquire), used in polite business Japanese.
Common Mistakes
The dual meaning of 聞く (to listen AND to ask) confuses learners. Pay attention to particles: 先生に聞く (ask the teacher — に marks who you ask), 音楽を聞く (listen to music — を marks what you hear). A common error is using 質問する (shitsumon suru — to ask a question) when 聞く is more natural in casual speech. Also, 聞こえる (kikoeru — can be heard) is the intransitive/potential form, distinct from 聞ける (kikeru — able to listen).
Example Sentences (3)
ちょっと聞いてもいいですか？
ちょっときいてもいいですか？
May I ask you something?
ラジオでニュースを聞きました。
らじおでにゅーすをききました。
I listened to the news on the radio.
分からないことは先生に聞いてください。
わからないことはせんせいにきいてください。
Please ask the teacher about anything you don't understand.
Quick Quiz
Quick Quiz
N54 questionsTest your knowledge of 聞く with 4 different question types.
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