Benkyō Mashou logoBenkyou Mashou

聞く

きく

to hear, to listen, to ask

Godan verbJLPT N5

Example Sentences

音楽を聞きます。
I listen to music.
先生に聞きました。
I asked the teacher.
ラジオを聞きません。
I don't listen to the radio.

Grammar Notes & Usage Tips

Use を with 聞く when you're listening to music or sounds — for example, 音楽を聞く means "to listen to music."
Use に with 聞く when you're asking someone a question — for example, 先生に聞く means "to ask the teacher."
Don’t confuse the two meanings — 聞く can mean both "to listen" and "to ask," so the context and particles (を or に) help you know which one it is.
JLPT N5 level

Common Phrases & Expressions

音楽を聞く
to listen to music
人に聞く
to ask someone
話を聞く
to listen to (someone’s) story

Complete Conjugation Table

Basic Forms

Dictionary Form
聞く
Masu Form
聞きます
Te Form
聞いて
Past Form
聞いた
Negative Form
聞かない
Past Negative
聞かなかった

Polite Forms

Polite Present
聞きます
Polite Past
聞きました
Polite Negative
聞きません
Polite Past Negative
聞きませんでした

Advanced Forms

Potential Form
聞ける
Passive Form
聞かれる
Causative Form
聞かせる
Causative Passive
聞かされる
Volitional Form
聞こう
Imperative Form
聞け

Conditional Forms

Conditional (ば)
聞けば
Conditional (たら)
聞いたら

Other Forms

Progressive Form
聞いている
Desire (たい)
聞きたい
Prohibition
聞くな

Related Verbs