聞く
kiku[kʲi̥kɯ̟]
In Japanese, the phrase 'to ask' is expressed as 聞く (kiku).
聞く is used to request information from someone by posing a question. When you want to specify the person you are asking, use the particle に after their name or title, such as 〜に聞く (to ask someone). Note that depending on the context, 聞く can also mean 'to hear' or 'to listen'.
Which one should you use?
While 聞く is the common word for 'to ask', 尋ねる is a more formal or specific term used when inquiring about directions or information. Additionally, 頼む is used when you are not asking a question, but rather asking for a favor or making a request.
How does it change in a sentence?
The past tense of 聞く is 聞いた (asked / was asked). If you want to express that you want to ask something, use the form 聞きたい (want to ask).
How do you pronounce it?
kiku
Did you know?
- The word 聞く first appears in written records in the Kojiki from 712 CE, using an ancient phonetic script called man'yōgana.
- In Japanese, the same word 聞く is used for both 'to ask' and 'to listen'. This reflects a conceptual link where asking a question is seen as a way of listening for an answer.
- The word 聞く has many distant relatives across the Ryukyuan islands, such as the Okinawan 聞ちゅん and the Yonaguni 聞ん.
Examples in context
- トムに聞くつもりなの？Are you going to ask Tom?This sentence shows how to use 聞く to ask about a future intention to ask a person.Tatoeba #8816051 by bunbuku, translation #3523648 by CK
- 当たり前のこと聞くなよ。Do you really need to ask that?This sentence uses 聞く to express a reaction to an obvious question.Tatoeba #3596361 by tommy_san, translation #11255585 by pip
- 女性に年齢を聞くほど馬鹿じゃないわよね。You should know better than to ask a lady her age.This sentence uses 聞く to describe the act of asking someone's age.Tatoeba #9664156 by bunbuku, translation #8861 by CK
- 申し訳ありませんが、お時間がございましたら、お名前を尋ねてもよろしいでしょうか。Excuse me, if you have a moment, may I ask for your name?
- お客様のご意見をお聞きしたいのですが、よろしいでしょうか。I would like to hear your opinion. Is that alright?
- 友達に食べ物のおすすめを聞いてみました。I asked my friend for food recommendations.
- ちょっと何か頼みたいことがあるんだけど、いいかな？Hey, I have something to ask you. Is that okay?
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yui and Hiroto are talking in a cafe about a project.
- 結衣 Yui大翔、その資料の作り方を誰かに聞く？Hiroto, sono shiryou no tsukurikata o dareka ni kiku?Hiroto, are you going to ask someone how to make those materials?
- 大翔 Hirotoうん、後で先輩に聞くつもりだよ。Un, ato de senpai ni kiku tsumori da yo.Yeah, I intend to ask my senior later.
- 結衣 Yuiわかった。私も調べておくね。Wakatta. Watashi mo shirabete oku ne.Okay. I'll look into it too.
- 大翔 Hirotoありがとう、助かるよ。Arigatou, tasukaru yo.Thanks, that helps.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 聞く, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 聞く, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
