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What is the Kanji for 'Listen'? | 聞

If you are wondering what is the Japanese Kanji for 'Listen', you've come to the right place!

The Japanese Kanji for 'Listen' is 聞.

    kanji

    聞

    Meaning

    Listen

    Reading

    kunyomiき

    ki

    onyomiぶん

    bun

    もん

    mon

    Parts

    門Gate 耳Ear

    Example Word

    聞こえる: audible. The Japanese verb '聞こえる (きこえる)' means 'to be audible' or 'to be heard'. It describes the ability to hear something naturally, often without intentional effort. This verb is often used to express sounds that reach one's ears, such as music, voices, or noises. For example: I can hear the birds singing「鳥の鳴き声が聞こえる」(とりのなきごえがきこえる). The sound of the waves is audible from here「ここから波の音が聞こえる」(ここからなみのおとがきこえる). Note that '聞こえる' is an intransitive verb, meaning it does not take a direct object, unlike its transitive counterpart '聞く (きく)' (to listen).

    Radical

    耳

    Stroke Count

    14

    JLPT

    N5

    Grade

    2

    Frequency

    68

    Handwriting

Parts of the Kanji 聞

If you visually break down this kanji, you can see it is made up of 2 parts:

    kanji

    門

    Meaning

    Gate

    kanji

    耳

    Meaning

    Ear

Words Using 聞

This kanji is used in 7 words:

    word

    聞く

    Meaning

    Listen, Ask

    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

Kanji Related to 聞 Through the Part 門

These 11 kanji contain the part 門 as well.

    kanji

    間

    Meaning

    Interval, Space

    kanji

    開

    Meaning

    Open

    kanji

    閉

    Meaning

    Close, Shut

    kanji

    問

    Meaning

    Question, Problem

    kanji

    関

    Meaning

    Barrier, Related

    kanji

    閣

    Meaning

    Cabinet

    kanji

    閥

    Meaning

    Clan, Clique

    kanji

    闘

    Meaning

    Fight, Struggle

    kanji

    閲

    Meaning

    Inspect, Inspection

    kanji

    閑

    Meaning

    Quiet, Leisure

    kanji

    闇

    Meaning

    Darkness

Kanji Related to 聞 Through the Part 耳

These 8 kanji contain the part 耳 as well.

    kanji

    取

    Meaning

    Take

    kanji

    職

    Meaning

    Employment

    kanji

    聴

    Meaning

    Listen

    kanji

    聖

    Meaning

    Saint, Holy

    kanji

    恥

    Meaning

    Ashamed, Shame

    kanji

    摂

    Meaning

    Take in, Vicarious

    kanji

    敢

    Meaning

    Daring

    kanji

    餌

    Meaning

    Feed

Learn the Kanji 聞

Let's make sure you fully understand this kanji.

What does 聞 mean?

聞 means 'Listen'.

Japanese school students learn this kanji in Second Grade, while non-native learners often study it for the JLPT N5 exam.

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