Translation guide
How to express 'listen carefully' in Japanese, from polite requests to casual commands.
Politely asking someone to pay attention and listen to what you are about to say.
Standard polite request. Literally 'please listen well'. Suitable for most situations.
これから大事な話をしますので、よく聞いてください。
I'm going to tell you something important, so please listen carefully.
Emphasizes listening attentively and firmly. 'しっかり' means 'firmly' or 'properly'.
説明をしっかり聞いてください。
Please listen carefully to the explanation.
Very polite, humble form. Used in formal announcements or customer service.
ただいまより重要なお知らせを申し上げます。どうぞお聞きください。
We will now make an important announcement. Please listen carefully.
Telling a friend or someone close to listen carefully in an informal way.
Casual version of よく聞いてください. Used among friends, family, or when speaking down.
ちょっと、よく聞いて。すごいニュースがあるんだ。
Hey, listen carefully. I have amazing news.
Implies 'listen properly' or 'pay attention'. Often used when scolding or emphasizing.
ちゃんと聞いてよ。大事な話なんだから。
Listen carefully, okay? It's important.
Literally 'incline your ear'. A poetic or emphatic way to say 'listen carefully'. Not used in everyday casual speech.
自然の声に耳を傾けてごらん。
Listen carefully to the voice of nature.
Forcefully telling someone to listen, often in urgent or disciplinary contexts.
Strong imperative form. Used by superiors, in military contexts, or when angry. Rough masculine tone.
おい、よく聞け！二度と言わないぞ。
Hey, listen carefully! I won't say it twice.
Strong command with nuance of 'listen properly'. Often used when scolding.
ちゃんと聞けって言ってるだろ！
I said listen carefully!
Focusing on auditory perception rather than understanding content.
Casual suggestion to try listening carefully. '〜てみて' means 'try and see'.
この曲、よく聞いてみて。すごくいいメロディーだから。
Listen carefully to this song. It has a really nice melody.
Literally 'clear your ears'. Means to listen intently, often for faint sounds. Poetic nuance.
夜の静けさの中で、耳を澄まして遠くの波の音を聞いた。
In the silence of the night, I listened carefully to the distant sound of waves.
All can mean 'carefully' but with different nuances. よく (yoku) is general 'well'. ちゃんと (chanto) implies 'properly, as expected'. しっかり (shikkari) implies 'firmly, attentively'. For 'listen carefully', よく聞いて is most neutral; ちゃんと聞いて can sound scolding; しっかり聞いて emphasizes paying full attention.
よく聞いてください。
Please listen carefully.
ちゃんと聞いてください。
Please listen properly (implying you weren't).
しっかり聞いてください。
Please listen attentively.
Avoid directly translating 'carefully' as 注意深く (chuui bukaku) with 聞く. 注意深く聞く is grammatically correct but sounds stiff and unnatural in most contexts. Use よく, ちゃんと, or しっかり instead.
注意深く聞いてください。
Please listen carefully. (Unnatural, overly formal)