How to Say "Asked" in Japanese

聞いた

The Japanese word for 'asked' is 聞いた.

Depending on the context, it can also mean that you 'heard' or 'listened to' something.

Which one should you use?

In Japanese, 聞いた is used for both 'asked a question' and 'heard/listened to something', depending on the context.

The polite past tense form of 聞いた is 聞きました.

While 聞いた means 'asked' or 'heard', Japanese has a separate word 訊いた that specifically means 'asked a question'. In modern Japanese, these two are pronounced exactly the same, but they use different kanji characters to clarify the meaning in writing.
In Japanese, you can 'ask' someone for a favor using the word お願いする instead of 聞く. This phrase literally means 'to make a wish' or 'to pray', reflecting a cultural emphasis on humility when requesting help.
Japanese uses the word 聞く not just for 'asking' or 'hearing', but also for 'obeying' or 'listening to advice'. For example, saying a child 'does not listen' means they are not following instructions.

他の人には聞いたの？
Have you asked the others?
This example shows how to use 聞いた to ask if someone has questioned others.
Tatoeba #11605288 by small_snow, translation #819202 by CM
彼に忙しいかどうか聞いたんだ。
I asked him if he was busy.
This sentence uses 聞いた to describe asking someone about their availability.
Tatoeba #9029425 by bunbuku, translation #68949 by CK
トムに何を読んでいたのか聞いた。
I asked Tom what he was reading.
This sentence uses 聞いた to describe asking someone about their reading material.
Tatoeba #7928613 by Ninja, translation #4759315 by CK
彼に時間について聞きました。
I asked him about the time.
先生にアドバイスを尋ねました。
I asked the teacher for advice.
プロジェクトの進捗について質問しました。
I asked about the progress of the project.
友達に映画の感想を聞いた。
I asked my friend about their opinion on the movie.
おばあちゃんにお菓子のレシピを訊いた。
I asked my grandma for the recipe for the sweets.
43 more sentences on Tatoeba

Hiromi and Hiroto are talking about a recent school event.

陽葵 Himari

先生に準備が終わったか聞いた？
Sensei ni junbi ga owatta ka kiita?
Did you ask the teacher if the preparations are finished?
大翔 Hiroto

うん、さっき聞いたよ。
Un, sakki kiita yo.
Yes, I asked a little while ago.
陽葵 Himari

なんて言ってた？
Nante itteta?
What did she say?
大翔 Hiroto

大丈夫だって言ってたよ。
Daijoubu datte itteta yo.
She said it is okay.

Sources

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