← Kanji module
N5 · 14 strokes · — · Irodori #37 · Starter L11
聞
ask, hear, listen
Stroke diagrams © KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Readings
- On’yomi
- ブン、モン
- Kun’yomi
- き・く、き・こえる
Example words
聞く
きく
to hear
聞こえる
きこえる
to be heard; to be audible
聞かす
きかす
to let (someone) hear; to tell (e.g. a story)
聞き取る
ききとる
to catch (someone's words); to make out
Memory aids
Guided learn session →How to remember
Shape
An ear (耳) inside a gate (門) — to hear/listen.
Components
Remember "hear, listen" (聞) by connecting it to its Irodori vocabulary context.
Anchor word
聞きます (ききます) — your first meeting with this kanji in Irodori.
Readings
First learned in 聞きます (ききます) — recall the word to unlock the reading. Kun'yomi: き・く、き・こえる — often used in native Japanese words. On'yomi: ブン、モン — common in compound words (熟語).