聞く and 聞こえる: listening and being audible

The idea

Use 音楽を聞きます for listening to music. A sound that is audible often takes が: 声が聞こえます; a topic can take は. 聞ける is the potential form of 聞く and often expresses the opportunity or ability to listen: この店ではジャズが聞けます.

Examples

• 隣となりの部屋へやから音楽おんがくが聞きこえます。Music is audible from the next room.
• 私わたしはラジオで音楽おんがくを聞ききます。I listen to music on the radio.
• うるさくて先生せんせいの声こえが聞きこえません。It is noisy, so I cannot hear the teacher’s voice.
• 鳥とりの声こえが聞きこえますか。Can you hear the birds?
• 友達ともだちの話はなしを聞ききます。I listen to my friend’s story.
• この店みせではジャズが聞きけます。You can listen to jazz at this shop.

Watch out

聞く is not always deliberate: it also means “hear” in some contexts. 聞こえる focuses on audibility even when you listen on purpose; it is not interchangeable with 聞ける in every sentence.

Try it yourself

1. Choose the form for sound reaching your ears. 隣となりの部屋へやから音楽おんがくが＿＿。（聞きこえます／聞ききます）

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   聞こえます

   音楽が聞こえます describes sound reaching the listener from the next room.

2. Choose the form for listening to a friend’s story. 友達ともだちの話はなしを＿＿。（聞ききます／聞きこえます）

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   聞きます

   The friend’s story is the object of listening, marked by を, so use 聞きます.

3. Choose the form for the opportunity to listen to jazz at a shop. この店みせではジャズが＿＿。（聞きけます／聞ききます）

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   聞けます

   聞けます expresses the opportunity to listen to jazz at the shop.

Use it today

Describe what you listen to, a sound you can hear from another room and a place where you can listen to music.