誰も聞いてない
dare mo kiitenai
The English phrase "no one asked" is translated into Japanese as 誰も聞いてない (dare mo kiitenai).
This phrase is used as a sarcastic or blunt way to shut down someone who is providing unsolicited information or opinions. It is a dismissive remark used to tell someone that their comment or information was unwanted.
Which one should you use?
While 誰も聞いてない is the standard form, you may encounter 誰も聞いてないよ, where adding the particle よ at the end makes the dismissive tone more pointed and assertive in casual conversation. Another informal variation is 誰にも聞かれていない.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The variations 誰も聞いてないよ and 誰にも聞かれていない are also categorized as informal.
How do you pronounce it?
dare mo kiitenai
Did you know?
- While 聞いてない literally means 'not listening' or 'not asking', it is used in a completely different context to express shock, such as when someone discovers a secret plan they were never told about.
- The verb 'kiku' in 誰も聞いてない can mean both 'to ask' and 'to listen', making the phrase a clever double entendre that can mean 'no one asked' or 'no one is listening'.
- Using 誰も聞いてない can be particularly jarring in Japan because of the cultural emphasis on 'reading the air' or 空気を読む, making the act of explicitly pointing out a social blunder very aggressive.
Examples in context
- 誰も聞いてないよ。Dare mo kiite nai yo.No one asked.
- そんなの、誰も聞いてない。Sonna no, dare mo kiite nai.No one asked for that.
- 別に、誰も聞いてないし。Betsu ni, dare mo kiite nai shi.I mean, no one even asked.
Example conversation
Kenta is bragging about his gaming score to Yui.
- 健太 Kenta見て、俺が最高記録を更新したよ！Mite, ore ga saikō kiroku o kōshin shita yo!Look, I broke the high score!
- 結衣 Yui誰も聞いてない。Daremo kiitenai.No one asked.
- 健太 Kentaひどいな、結衣はいつもそう言う。Hidoi na, Yui wa itsumo sō iu.That's mean, Yui always says that.
- 結衣 Yui本当のことだからいいじゃん。Hontō no koto dakara ii jan.It's the truth, so it's fine.
