Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.
聞き出す (ききだす) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Freq. Frequency Top 50,000 Conjugation Meanings 1
godan verb (-su), transitive verb
get information out of someone ; extract information ; find out through questioning
Used when actively drawing out information from a person, often through skillful or persistent questioning. Implies the information was not readily volunteered.
巧たく
み
に
彼かれ
の
秘ひ
密みつ
を
聞き
き
出だ
し
た
。
She skillfully extracted his secret.
2
godan verb (-su), transitive verb
begin listening
Rare and somewhat literary; means to start listening to something, such as a story or music. In modern Japanese, 聞き始める is more common.
Written forms 聞き き 出だ す Usage 85%
Standard kanji spelling; high frequency in news and general use.
聞き きだす Usage 12%
Mixed kana spelling; common in less formal writing.
ききだす Usage 3%
聞きき 出だ す Usage <1%
search-only kanji form
Search-only form; not standard for modern writing.
Similar words 聞き き 始はじ める More common and straightforward for 'begin listening'; 聞き出す in this sense is rare and literary.
引ひ き 出だ す Broader term for 'draw out' or 'extract', not limited to information or questioning.
Etymology Compound of 聞く (to listen, to ask) and 出す (to take out, to start doing). The primary sense 'to get information out' derives from the idea of 'drawing out by listening/asking', while the rare sense 'begin listening' uses 出す as an auxiliary meaning 'to start'.
