聞 — Kanji Meaning, Readings & Example Words (JLPT N5)
What it means
聞 is the kanji of hearing and listening — and, very usefully, also of asking. In Japanese the same verb covers two ideas that English splits apart: 聞く means both "to listen / to hear" and "to ask (a question)." So 音楽を聞く is "to listen to music," but 道を聞く is "to ask for directions." Same kanji, same verb, context tells you which.
Beyond the standalone verb, 聞 shows up in words about information you take in by ear or eye — most famously 新聞 ("newspaper," literally "new things heard"). Whenever you spot 聞 in a word, think "taking in news or sound."
Readings
| Type | Reading | Used in |
|---|---|---|
| kun'yomi | き.く | 聞く (to listen / to ask) |
| kun'yomi | き.こえる | 聞こえる (to be audible, can be heard) |
| on'yomi | ブン | 新聞 (newspaper), 新聞社 (newspaper company) |
| on'yomi | モン | 見聞 (けんぶん, observation / experience) — less common |
The usual rule of thumb applies: the kun'yomi (き.く, き.こえる) appears when the kanji stands alone with hiragana endings, while the on'yomi (ブン) turns up inside two-kanji compounds. So 聞く uses き.く, but 新聞 uses ブン. Note the two kun'yomi differ by one idea: き.く is "to listen / ask" (you do it on purpose), while き.こえる is "to be audible" (sound reaches you, no effort needed).
Stroke order & radical
- Strokes: 14, written outside-in for the gate frame, then the ear inside. Build the left and right posts of 門 ("gate") first, then fill in 耳 ("ear") in the middle.
- Radical: the radical is 耳 (みみ, "ear") — the part doing the actual hearing. It sits framed inside 門 ("gate").
A memory hook that sticks: picture an ear pressed at the gate, listening to figure out who has come to visit. Ear + gate = "to hear / to listen / to ask." Once you see the ear in the doorway, the shape is hard to forget.
Common words using 聞
Notice the reading split in action: the standalone verbs 聞く and 聞こえる take the kun'yomi き, while the compounds 新聞 and 新聞社 flip to the on'yomi ブン. That's the rule of thumb above, working exactly as advertised.
Example sentences
ヤッタンは毎晩ラジオを聞きます。
ヤッタンは まいばん ラジオを ききます。
Yattan listens to the radio every night.
聞く — the kun'yomi き.く reading, here meaning 'to listen.'
モチは先生に新聞の読み方を聞いた。
モチは せんせいに しんぶんの よみかたを きいた。
Mochi asked the teacher how to read the newspaper.
Both readings in one sentence: 新聞 (ブン) and 聞いた (き.く, here meaning 'to ask').
弟の部屋から音楽が聞こえる。
おとうとの へやから おんがくが きこえる。
I can hear music coming from my little brother's room.
聞こえる (き.こえる) — sound reaches you on its own, no effort needed.
Quick recap
- 聞 = hear / listen / ask; 14 strokes; radical is 耳 (ear) inside 門 (gate).
- き.く = "to listen / to ask"; き.こえる = "to be audible" (sound reaches you).
- ブン in compounds like 新聞 (newspaper) and 新聞社 (newspaper company).
- Don't mix up 聞く (hear/ask) with 効く ("to take effect") or 利く ("to work / be effective") — different kanji, also read きく.
Your turn
Choose the correct reading of 聞 in each word.
Start the 5-question drill →Frequently asked questions
Does 聞く mean 'listen' or 'ask'?
Both. 聞く (きく) covers 'to listen / to hear' and 'to ask a question.' Context decides: 音楽を聞く is 'listen to music,' while 道を聞く is 'ask for directions.'
What's the difference between 聞く and 聞こえる?
聞く (きく) is something you do on purpose — to listen or to ask. 聞こえる (きこえる) means a sound is audible and reaches your ears on its own, without effort, like 'I can hear music.'
How is 聞 read in 新聞?
In 新聞 (しんぶん, 'newspaper') 聞 takes the on'yomi ブン. As a rule, two-kanji compounds use the on'yomi, while the standalone verb 聞く uses the kun'yomi き.
Is 聞く the same as 効く or 利く?
No — they're different kanji that happen to share the reading きく. 聞く means 'hear / ask,' 効く means 'to take effect' (like medicine), and 利く means 'to work / be effective.' Watch the kanji to tell them apart.