How to Say ‘Ask / listen (te-form; used for requests/connecting actions)’ in Japanese
聞いて
kii te
[kee-ee teh]
💬 Usage Tip: [聞いて] is the て-form. As a request it can mean “Ask!” or “Listen!” depending on context.
🇯🇵 In Japan: Teachers might say [聞いて] to mean “Listen (everyone)!”—common classroom moment.
Phrase Breakdown
聞い
kii
[kee-ee]
listen/ask (te-form base of 聞く)
Te-form stem of 聞く used for requests, linking actions, or progressive forms (聞いてください, 聞いている).
よく聞いてください。
Please listen carefully.
て
te
[teh]
te-form ending
て attaches to a verb stem to make the te-form; used for requests (〜てください) and connecting actions.
聞いてね。
Listen, okay?
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