私の話を聞いて
watashi no hanashi o kiite
In Japanese, "listen to me" is expressed as 私の話を聞いて (watashi no hanashi o kiite).
This phrase is used as a request for someone to pay attention to what the speaker is saying. While English often uses "listen to me" to refer to the person's physical presence, the Japanese phrase specifically focuses on listening to the talk or story being told.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "listen to my talk/story".
Which one should you use?
In very casual settings, you can omit the full phrase and simply say 聞いて to mean "listen".
How does it change in a sentence?
The form kiite is the te-form of the verb, which functions as a casual request. Adding kudasai to the end of the sentence makes the request more polite and formal.
How do you pronounce it?
watashi no hanashi o kiite
Did you know?
- While English speakers often make eye contact when saying 'listen to me', doing so too intensely while saying 私の話を聞いて might actually feel confrontational or aggressive to a Japanese listener.
- The verb 聞く (kiku) is a homonym that can also mean 'to ask' a question, depending on the kanji used and the context of the conversation.
- Using the polite form 聞いてください (kiite kudasai) is common, but in professional settings, one might use even more formal 'honorific' verbs that have no direct English equivalent.
Examples in context
- トム、私の話を聞いてほしいの。Tom, I want you to listen to me.This sentence shows how to use 私の話を聞いて when expressing a desire for someone to listen to you.Tatoeba #8639649 by bunbuku, translation #2014762 by CK
- 一度、私の話を聞いて。ichido, watashi no hanashi o kiite.Listen to me for a moment.
- お願い、私の話を聞いてください。onegai, watashi no hanashi o kiite kudasai.Please, listen to what I have to say.
Example conversation
Misaki is trying to explain something important to Ren.
- 美咲 Misaki蓮、私の話を聞いて。ren, watashi no hanashi o kiite.Ren, listen to me.
- 蓮 Ren今、忙しいんだよ。ima, isogashii n da yo.I'm busy right now.
- 美咲 Misakiすごく大切なことなの。sugoku taisetsu na koto na no.It's something very important.
- 蓮 Renわかった、聞くよ。wakatta, kiku yo.Alright, I'll listen.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
