聞く

• Reading: きく
• Romaji: kiku
• Kanji breakdown: 聞 (bun/ki) — to hear, to listen, to ask
• Pronunciation: /ki.kɯ/

Meaning

To hear; to listen to; to ask (a question). A versatile verb covering both hearing and asking.

A Group 1 (godan) transitive verb with a k-stem. Has two main meanings: hearing/listening (音楽を聞く) and asking (先生に聞く). When meaning 'to ask,' the person asked takes the particle に. The kanji 聴く is sometimes used to emphasise attentive listening, but 聞く is standard for N5.

Examples

1. 音楽を聞くのが好きです。 I like listening to music.
2. 先生に聞いてみましょう。 Let's try asking the teacher.
3. その話はもう聞きました。 I already heard that story.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, music, conversation

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Old Japanese. The kanji 聞 combines 門 (gate) and 耳 (ear), suggesting sound entering through a gate to reach the ear.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal