聞 — how to write the kanji for “hear”
聞 means “hear”, “ask” and “listen”; it is a JLPT N5 kanji, taught in second grade in Japan. In newspapers it is the 319th most used kanji. KANJIDIC2 gives it 2 on readings and 2 kun readings, so the word decides how you say it. Its parts sit one inside another: 門 (“gate”), strokes 1–8; 耳 (“ear”, its radical), strokes 9–14, each finished before the next. Its native reading ki-ku leads in its common words, as in 聞かす (“to let (someone) hear”) and 聞き手 (“hearer”); read bun it forms 新聞 (“newspaper”). Mainland Chinese writes it 闻 (wén, “to hear”), an HSK 3 character.
- Strokes
- 14
- JLPT
- N5
- Radical
- 耳 (“ear”)
- On
- ブン, モン
- Kun
- き·こえる, き·く
Stroke by stroke
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- Vertical ㇑top leftdownwards
- Horizontal-turn ㇕top leftrightwards → downwards
- Horizontal ㇐top leftrightwards
- Horizontal ㇐leftrightwards
- Vertical ㇑topdownwards
- Horizontal-turn-hook ㇆toprightwards → downwards
- Horizontal ㇐toprightwards
- Horizontal ㇐toprightwards
- Horizontal ㇐leftrightwards
- Vertical ㇑centerdownwards
- Horizontal ㇐centerrightwards
- Horizontal ㇐bottomrightwards
- Rising stroke ㇀bottom leftrightwards
- Vertical ㇑centerdownwards
Japanese and Chinese
The two models differ in shape, so our comparison does not claim an order; compare the numbered frames yourself (14 strokes in Japanese, 14 strokes in Chinese).
Trace it
Follow the numbers. Tracing help
Readings
- On (Chinese-derived)
- ブン bun, モン mon
- Kun (native)
- き·こえる ki-koeru, き·く ki-ku (rare)
- Meanings
- hear; ask; listen
- Read ki-ku
- 聞かす 聞き手 聞き書き 聞き取り
- Read bun
- 新聞 新聞社 新聞紙
- Read mon
- 前代未聞 聴聞
- School year
- second grade
- Newspaper rank
- 319th of 2,500 (KANJIDIC2)
- Korean hanja
- 문 mun
- Common words
- 16 in JMdict
Words with 聞
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 新聞 | しんぶん shinbun | newspaper |
| 聞かす | きかす kikasu | to let (someone) hear; to tell |
| 新聞社 | しんぶんしゃ shinbunsha | newspaper company |
| 聞き手 | ききて kikite | hearer; listener |
| 新聞紙 | しんぶんし shinbunshi | newsprint; newspaper used for wrapping, packing, etc. |
| 前代未聞 | ぜんだいみもん zendaimimon | unheard-of; unprecedented |
| 新聞記事 | しんぶんきじ shinbunkiji | newspaper story (article, account) |
| 聞き書き | ききがき kikigaki | writing down what one hears; account of what one hears |
| 聞き取り | ききとり kikitori | listening comprehension; aural comprehension |
| 聴聞 | ちょうもん choumon | listening; hearing |
Most common first (JMdict).
Practice sheet
Print at 100%. Several kanji: worksheet maker.
Keep going
Same parts:
JLPT N5, in list order: