Japanese reference
聞く
きく
to listen; hear; ask
Regular · 32 form tables
Rows describe verb forms and levels of politeness. Honorific and humble forms are labeled separately. Strong commands appear under additional forms.
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Basic
Non past
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Dictionary form | きく (kiku)listen |
| Polite, masu | ききます (kikimasu)listen |
Negative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Negative, nai | きかない (kikanai)do not listen |
| Polite negative | ききません (kikimasen)do not listen |
Past
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Past, ta | きいた (kiita)listened |
| Polite past | ききました (kikimashita)listened |
Past negative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Past negative | きかなかった (kikanakatta)did not listen |
| Polite past negative | ききませんでした (kikimasendeshita)did not listen |
Linking
Te form
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Te-form | きいて (kiite)listening (and then) |
| Polite te-form | ききまして (kikimashite)listening (and then) |
Te iru
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Te-iru: ongoing action / resulting state | きいている (kiiteiru)be listening |
| Polite te-iru | きいています (kiiteimasu)be listening |
Conditional, ba
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Conditional, ba | きけば (kikeba)if you listen |
| Rare literary polite conditional | ききますれば (kikimasureba)if you listen (rare and literary). In ordinary polite conversation, use the plain conditional and make the main clause polite |
Conditional, tara
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Conditional, tara | きいたら (kiitara)if you listen |
| Polite conditional, tara | ききましたら (kikimashitara)if you listen |
Mood
Potential
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Potential | きける (kikeru)can listen |
| Polite potential | きけます (kikemasu)can listen |
Volitional
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Volitional | きこう (kikou)let's listen! |
| Polite volitional | ききましょう (kikimashou)let's listen! |
Desire, tai
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Desire, tai | ききたい (kikitai)want to listen |
| Polite desire, tai | ききたいです (kikitaidesu)want to listen |
Voice
Passive
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Passive | きかれる (kikareru)be affected when someone listens |
| Polite passive | きかれます (kikaremasu)be affected when someone listens |
Causative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Causative | きかせる (kikaseru)make or let someone listen |
| Polite causative | きかせます (kikasemasu)make or let someone listen |
Causative passive
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Causative-passive | きかせられる (kikaserareru)be made to listen |
| Polite causative-passive | きかせられます (kikaseraremasu)be made to listen |
Commands
Negative imperative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Negative imperative | きくな (kikuna)do not listen! |
| Polite negative request | きかないでください (kikanaidekudasai)please do not listen |
Polite
Polite non past
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Polite non-past form | ききます (kikimasu)listen |
Polite negative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Polite negative form | ききません (kikimasen)do not listen |
Polite past
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Polite past form | ききました (kikimashita)listened |
Polite past negative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Polite past negative form | ききませんでした (kikimasendeshita)did not listen |
Requests
Request with kudasai
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Request with kudasai | きいてください (kiitekudasai)please listen |
Negative request
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Request not to act | きかないでください (kikanaidekudasai)please do not listen |
Invitation with mashou
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Invitation with mashou | ききましょう (kikimashou)let's listen! |
Permission
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Permission | きいてもいい (kiitemoii)may listen |
| Polite permission | きいてもいいです (kiitemoiidesu)may listen |
Not allowed
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Not allowed | きいてはいけない (kiitehaikenai)must not listen |
| Polite prohibition | きいてはいけません (kiitehaikemasen)must not listen |
Instruction with nasai
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Instruction with nasai | ききなさい (kikinasai)listen (instruction) |
Aspect
Try doing
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Try doing | きいてみる (kiitemiru)try to listen |
| Polite try doing | きいてみます (kiitemimasu)try to listen |
Completion or regret
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Completion or regret | きいてしまう (kiiteshimau)listen completely or regrettably |
| Polite completion or regret | きいてしまいます (kiiteshimaimasu)listen completely or regrettably |
Preparation
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Preparation | きいておく (kiiteoku)listen in advance |
| Polite preparation | きいておきます (kiiteokimasu)listen in advance |
Past experience
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Past experience | きいたことがある (kiitakotogaaru)have the experience of: listened |
| Polite past experience | きいたことがあります (kiitakotogaarimasu)have the experience of: listened |
Conditions
Automatic result, to
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Automatic result, to | きくと (kikuto)whenever you listen |
| Polite automatic result | ききますと (kikimasuto)whenever you listen |
Given that, nara
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Given that, nara | きくなら (kikunara)if you mean to listen |
Probability
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Probability | きくだろう (kikudarou)probably listen |
| Polite probability | きくでしょう (kikudeshou)probably listen |
Additional forms
Strong command
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Imperative | きけ (kike)listen! |
| Polite request | きいてください (kiitekudasai)please listen |
Forms from the Loquus reference. Only supplied forms are shown. Browse all Japanese entries.