聴く

kiku

to listen

先生の話を聴く

Listen to the teacher's words

general

To hear or pay attention to sounds or speech

音楽を聴く

To listen to music

彼の意見を聴く

To listen to his opinion

Often used to indicate active listening rather than passive hearing.

formal

To obey or follow instructions

上司の指示を聴く

To follow the boss's instructions

In formal or professional contexts, this can imply compliance.

Collocations

話を聴くto listen to a story音楽を聴くto listen to music意見を聴くto listen to an opinion

Synonyms

聞く耳を傾ける

Antonyms

無視する聞かない

Related Phrases

耳を傾けるphrase

to lend an ear

聞き入るphrase

to be absorbed in listening

Pro Tip

Formal vs. Informal Usage

Use '聴く' in formal settings like lectures or professional advice, while '聞く' is more casual.

Gold Rule

Active Listening

'聴く' implies active engagement, not just passive hearing.

Word Origin

From Old Japanese 'kiku', meaning 'to hear' or 'to listen'. The kanji 聴 is derived from Chinese and emphasizes the act of listening attentively.

Usage Notes

While '聞く' and '聴く' are often interchangeable, '聴く' is more commonly used in formal or professional contexts, such as listening to a lecture or following instructions.

Word Breakdown

聴

to listen

root

く

verb ending

suffix

和英辞典

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