聞き取る · godan verb (-ru)
| Form | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | 聞き取る | 聞き取らない |
| Polite | 聞き取ります | 聞き取りません |
| Past polite | 聞き取りました | 聞き取りませんでした |
| Past | 聞き取った | 聞き取らなかった |
| Te-form | 聞き取って | 聞き取らないで |
| Desire | 聞き取りたい | 聞き取りたくない |
| Potential | 聞き取れる | 聞き取れない |
| Passive | 聞き取られる | 聞き取られない |
| Causative | 聞き取らせる | 聞き取らせない |
| Causative passive | 聞き取らせられるalso 聞き取らされる | 聞き取らせられないalso 聞き取らされない |
| Volitional | 聞き取ろう | |
| Polite volitional | 聞き取りましょう | |
| Imperative | 聞き取れ | 聞き取るな |
| Conditional | 聞き取れば | 聞き取らなければ |
| Tara conditional | 聞き取ったら | 聞き取らなかったら |
godan verb (-ru), transitive verb
catch; make out; understand (by hearing)
To successfully hear and understand spoken words, often when the speech is unclear, fast, or in a noisy environment. Implies auditory comprehension.
It's hard to catch his fast English.
雑音が多くて、相手の声が聞き取れなかった。
There was so much noise I couldn't make out the other person's voice.
godan verb (-ru), transitive verb
ask about; inquire; find out by asking
To gather information about a situation or circumstances by asking questions. Focuses on the act of inquiry rather than passive hearing.
事件の詳しい状況を聞き取るために、警察が現場に来た。
The police came to the scene to inquire about the details of the incident.
まずはお客様のご要望を聞き取ってください。
First, please ask about the customer's needs.
His English had such a distinctive accent that I could hardly catch what he was saying.
The police heard the details of the situation from the witness.
聞き取る means to catch or understand something by listening, while 書き取る means to physically write down what is heard or read, so the two are easily confused in dictation contexts.
Kana spelling, often used in informal writing or when the kanji is not needed.