耳を傾ける

• Reading: みみをかたむける
• Romaji: mimi wo katamukeru
• Kanji breakdown: 耳 (mimi) — ear; 傾ける (katamukeru) — to tilt, to incline, to lean toward
• Pronunciation: /mi.mi.wo.ka.ta.mɯ.ke.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To listen attentively; to lend an ear; to pay close attention to what is being said.

A common Japanese idiom (慣用句) meaning to direct one's full attention to listening. The image is of tilting one's ear toward the speaker. Used both literally for careful listening and figuratively for taking someone's opinion seriously. Often appears in formal and literary contexts: 部下の意見に耳を傾ける (listening to the opinions of subordinates) or 民の声に耳を傾ける (lending an ear to the people).

Examples

1. 彼女は相手の話にじっと耳を傾け、途中で口を挟もうとしなかった。 She listened intently to what the other person had to say, never trying to interrupt.
2. 優れたリーダーは、職場の末端の声にも耳を傾けることを怠らない。 A good leader never neglects to lend an ear even to the voices at the very bottom of the workplace.
3. 子どもの訴えに耳を傾けることが、信頼関係を築く第一歩になる。 Listening to what a child has to say is the first step in building a relationship of trust.

Usage Guide

Context: listening, leadership, communication, counselling

Tone: attentive

Origin & History

A classical Japanese idiom. 耳 means ear, 傾ける means to tilt or incline — together evoking the physical act of leaning one's ear toward the source of sound to hear it more clearly.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical–Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal