noun
listener's role; role of listener
Refers to the role of being the listener in a conversation, often contrasted with 話し役 (speaker's role). Commonly used in contexts like counseling, interviews, or active listening.
今日は聞き役に回って、相手の話をよく聞こう。
Today I'll take the listener's role and really listen to what the other person has to say.
カウンセリングでは、まず聞き役になることが大切だ。
In counseling, it's important to first take the role of the listener.
話し役 is the speaker's role, the opposite of 聞き役. While 聞き役 focuses on listening, 話し役 is about actively speaking or telling a story.
Compound of 聞き (kiki, 'listening', the continuative form of 聞く) and 役 (yaku, 'role'). The meaning is transparent from its parts.