How to say 'Listen' or 'Ask' in Japanese | 聞く

Wondering how to say 'Listen' or 'Ask' in Japanese? You're in the right place!

The Japanese word for Listen or Ask is 'Kiku', written as 聞く in Japanese.'Listen' or 'Ask' in hiragana is きく.

word

聞く

Meaning

Listen, Ask

Reading

きく

kiku

Kanji

聞Listen

Explanation

The Japanese verb '聞く (きく)' has two primary meanings: 'to ask' and 'to listen'. When used to mean 'to ask', it refers to inquiring or seeking information from someone. For example: I asked the teacher「先生に聞いた」(せんせいにきいた). When used to mean 'to listen', it refers to the act of hearing or paying attention to sounds or speech. For example: I listened to music「音楽を聞いた」(おんがくをきいた). The context usually clarifies which meaning is intended. Note that '聞く' is often used in polite requests, such as '聞いてください (きいてください)' (please listen/ask).

Part Of Speech

verb

Kanji JLPT

Kanji Grade

Frequency

105

Composition

kanji-hiragana

Handwriting

This word is a godan verb. To learn how it transforms in different tenses and forms, explore all its conjugations.

Kanji in the Word 聞く

This word contains 1 kanji character:

kanji

聞

Meaning

Listen

Hiragana in the Word 聞く

This word contains 1 Hiragana character :

hiragana

く

Reading

Words Related to 聞く Through the Kanji 聞

These 6 Words contain the Kanji 聞 as well.

word

新聞

Meaning

Newspaper

word

聞こえる

Meaning

Audible

word

聞き手

Meaning

Listener

word

新聞社

Meaning

Newspaper company

word

聞き取り

Meaning

Comprehension, Listening

word

聞かす

Meaning

Tell

Learn the Word 聞く

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What does 'Kiku' (聞く) mean?

'Kiku' means 'Listen' or 'Ask' .

To help you master this word, here's an interactive lesson where you'll practice its readings and meanings.