noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'
Often used of children who listen to reason and behave obediently. The noun form 聞き分け is common in phrases like 聞き分けがいい (to be reasonable/obedient) and 聞き分けのない (unreasonable/disobedient).
This child is well-behaved and doesn't cry much.
I'm troubled by his unreasonable attitude.
Standard kanji spelling.
Variant spelling with the okurigana き omitted; less common but still encountered.
Compound of 聞き (the continuative form of 聞く 'to listen') and 分け (the continuative form of 分ける 'to distinguish'). Literally 'listening and distinguishing', it came to mean the ability to understand and comply with what one is told.