Japanese verb · u-verb · first needed at beginner level (A1)
聞く
kiku
to listen, to ask
A u-verb ending in く: the te-form is (kiite). It means both “listen” and “ask”; the person you ask takes (ni): (sensei ni kiku).
Present
現在形
Now, habits and the future. The plain form is for friends and family; polite ～ます is the default.
| plain | 聞くkiku | |
|---|---|---|
| polite | 聞きますkikimasu | |
| plain negative | 聞かないkikanai | |
| polite negative | 聞きませんkikimasen |
Past
過去形
What happened, or what has happened. The plain form is for friends and family; polite ～ました is the default.
| plain | 聞いたkiita | |
|---|---|---|
| polite | 聞きましたkikimashita | |
| plain negative | 聞かなかったkikanakatta | |
| polite negative | 聞きませんでしたkikimasen deshita |
Te-form
て形
Joins actions (“and then”) and builds ～ています (doing now), ～てください (please do) and ～てもいいですか (may I).
| te-form | 聞いてkiite | |
|---|---|---|
| -te imasu (doing now) | 聞いていますkiite imasu | |
| -te kudasai (please do) | 聞いてくださいkiite kudasai | |
| -te mo ii desu ka (may I) | 聞いてもいいですかkiite mo ii desu ka |
Volitional
意向形
Let's: the plain form between friends, ～ましょう in polite speech. ～ましょうか suggests (shall we?) or offers help (shall I?).
| plain (let's) | 聞こうkikō | |
|---|---|---|
| polite (let's) | 聞きましょうkikimashō | |
| polite (shall we?) | 聞きましょうかkikimashō ka |
Potential
可能形
Can listen or ask: (koko de ongaku ga kikemasu). “To be audible” is (kikoeru).
| plain | 聞けるkikeru | |
|---|---|---|
| polite | 聞けますkikemasu | |
| plain negative | 聞けないkikenai | |
| polite negative | 聞けませんkikemasen |
Passive
受身形
Being asked or heard: (eki de michi o kikareta), someone asked me the way at the station.
| plain | 聞かれるkikareru | |
|---|---|---|
| polite | 聞かれますkikaremasu | |
| plain negative | 聞かれないkikarenai | |
| polite negative | 聞かれませんkikaremasen |
Causative
使役形
Making or letting someone listen; also “to tell (a story)”: (hanashi o kikasete kudasai), please tell me about it.
| plain | 聞かせるkikaseru | |
|---|---|---|
| polite | 聞かせますkikasemasu | |
| plain negative | 聞かせないkikasenai | |
| polite negative | 聞かせませんkikasemasen |
Conditional
条件形
If: ～ば for general conditions, ～たら for “if” and “when, once”, ～なければ for “if not”.
| -ba | 聞けばkikeba | |
|---|---|---|
| -tara | 聞いたらkiitara | |
| -nakereba (if not) | 聞かなければkikanakereba |
Examples
- 毎日音楽を聞きます。Mainichi ongaku o kikimasu.I listen to music every day.
- 先生に聞いてください。Sensei ni kiite kudasai.Please ask the teacher.
- ちょっと聞いてもいいですか。Chotto kiite mo ii desu ka.Can I ask you something?