How to Say ‘Listened; heard; asked (polite past)’ in Japanese
聞きました
kiki mashi ta
[kee-kee mah-shee tah]
💬 Usage Tip: [聞きました] is polite past of [聞く]. It can mean “I listened,” “I heard,” or “I asked,” depending on context.
🇯🇵 In Japan: When describing experience, Japanese often prefers past tense sequences: did X, then did Y, then learned Z.
Phrase Breakdown
聞き
kiki
[kee-kee]
listen/asked (stem)
Stem of 聞く used to form polite past. In interviews, you can say you listened to instructions/advice.
先輩のアドバイスを聞き、対応を改善しました。
I listened to a senior’s advice and improved my response.
まし
mashi
[mah-shee]
(polite past auxiliary, part of ました)
Part of polite past tense used in formal speech.
研修で説明を聞きまし、内容をメモしました。
In training, I listened to the explanation and took notes.
た
ta
[tah]
(past tense ending, part of ました)
Completes the polite past form ました.
利用者さんの不安を聞きました。
I listened to the client’s anxieties.
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