Translation guide
The act of paying attention to sound or speech. In Japanese, different words and patterns are used depending on whether you mean hearing sounds, listening to music or audio, listening actively to a person, or the skill of listening comprehension.
To listen to music, radio, a recording, or ambient sounds.
General verb for listening to something. Can also mean 'to hear' or 'to ask'. Use with particle を for the thing listened to.
I like listening to music.
ラジオを聞きながら勉強した。
I studied while listening to the radio.
Often used for listening to music or audio attentively, with a nuance of appreciation. Not used for casual hearing. Same reading as 聞く.
クラシック音楽を静かに聴いた。
I listened quietly to classical music.
Literally 'to incline one's ear'. Means to listen carefully, often to faint sounds or to what someone is saying.
彼は鳥のさえずりに耳を傾けた。
He listened carefully to the chirping of the birds.
To pay attention to what someone is saying, often in conversation or instruction.
The most common way to say 'listen to someone'. Literally 'listen to talk/story'. Use with person + の + 話を聞く.
友達の話をよく聞いてあげてください。
Please listen carefully to your friend's story.
先生の話をちゃんと聞きなさい。
Listen properly to what the teacher says.
Literally 'to lend an ear'. Means to listen to someone, often implying giving them your attention for a while.
Formal term for attentive listening, often used in counseling or professional contexts.
カウンセラーはクライアントの話を傾聴する。
A counselor listens attentively to the client's story.
The skill of understanding spoken language, often in the context of studying a foreign language.
Loanword from English, widely used in language education for listening comprehension exercises.
英語のリスニング力を上げたい。
I want to improve my English listening skills.
今日の授業はリスニングのテストです。
Today's class is a listening test.
Native Japanese term for listening comprehension. Often used in educational settings.
Also a loanword, but less common than リスニング. Sometimes used interchangeably, but リスニング is more standard for language learning.
To perceive sound without necessarily paying attention; the sense of hearing.
Intransitive verb meaning 'to be audible' or 'can hear'. Used when sound reaches your ears naturally, not when you actively listen.
隣の部屋から音楽が聞こえる。
I can hear music from the next room.
耳が遠くてよく聞こえない。
I'm hard of hearing and can't hear well.
Can also mean 'to hear' in certain contexts, but 聞こえる is clearer for passive perception.
変な音を聞いた。
I heard a strange sound.
To listen to a conversation or sounds without the speaker's knowledge.
To eavesdrop. Literally 'steal listen'.
彼はドアの外で盗み聞きしていた。
He was eavesdropping outside the door.
To listen while standing nearby, often secretly. Similar to eavesdropping.
隣の会話を立ち聞きしてしまった。
I ended up overhearing the conversation next door.
聞く is the general verb for both 'listen' and 'hear'. 聴く is used specifically for listening to music or audio with attention and appreciation. In everyday writing, 聞く is almost always sufficient.
音楽を聞く (general) / 音楽を聴く (attentive listening)
listen to music (general) / listen to music (attentively)
English distinguishes between active 'listen' and passive 'hear'. In Japanese, 聞く can cover both, but 聞こえる is specifically for passive hearing. Use 聞こえる when you want to emphasize that sound reaches your ears without effort.
When you want to say 'listen to me' or 'listen to someone', the most natural phrase is 話を聞く (listen to what someone says). Simply saying 私を聞いて is unnatural.
私の話を聞いてる？
Are you listening to me?
ポッドキャストを聞くのが大好きです。
I love listening to podcasts.
彼女はリスニング力が高い。
She has good listening skills.
ちょっと耳を貸してくれる？
Can you listen to me for a moment?
聞き取りの練習を毎日しています。
I practice listening comprehension every day.
ヒアリングの教材を探しています。
I'm looking for listening materials.