聞かせる
きかせる
verb
to tell; to let someone hear; to recite
Conjugation
| Affirmative | Negative | |
|---|---|---|
| Present | 聞かせる | 聞かせない |
| Present polite | 聞かせます | 聞かせません |
| Past | 聞かせた | 聞かせなかった |
| Past polite | 聞かせました | 聞かせませんでした |
| て form | 聞かせて | 聞かせなくて |
| ている present | 聞かせている | 聞かせていない |
| ている polite | 聞かせています | 聞かせていません |
| ている past | 聞かせていた | 聞かせていなかった |
| ている past polite | 聞かせていました | 聞かせていませんでした |
| Conditional ば | 聞かせれば | 聞かせなければ |
| Conditional たら | 聞かせたら | 聞かせなかったら |
| Volitional | 聞かせよう | — |
| Volitional polite | 聞かせましょう | — |
| Potential | 聞かせられる | 聞かせられない |
| Passive | 聞かせられる | 聞かせられない |
| Causative | 聞かせさせる | 聞かせさせない |
| Imperative | 聞かせろ | 聞かせるな |
1.
to tell; to let someone hear; to read aloud to
To convey information or a story to someone by speaking. Often used for telling stories, reading aloud, or sharing news.
子供に絵本を聞かせる。
To read a picture book aloud to a child.
旅行の話を聞かせてください。
Please tell me about your trip.
寝る前に子供たちに昔話を聞かせるのが日課だ。
It's my daily routine to tell the children folk tales before bed.
2.
to play (music) for someone; to perform for someone to hear
To play music or sing so that someone can listen and appreciate it.
新曲を聞かせる。
To play a new song for someone.
彼女はピアノで美しい曲を聞かせてくれた。
She played a beautiful piece on the piano for us.
いつか自分の歌をたくさんの人に聞かせたい。
Someday I want to let lots of people hear my songs.
The causative form of 聞く (to hear/listen), used as an independent verb meaning to let someone hear or to tell someone something. Unlike the grammatical causative, 聞かせる is commonly treated as its own word with a nuance of sharing or performing.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 話を聞かせる: to tell a story
- 絵本を聞かせる: to read a picture book aloud
- 歌を聞かせる: to sing a song for someone
- 意見を聞かせる: to share one's opinion
COMMON PATTERNS:
- 聞かせてください: please tell me (polite request)
- 聞かせてくれる: to tell/play for someone (favor nuance)
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 話す: to speak, to tell — neutral, no emphasis on the listener's experience
- 語る: to narrate, to tell — more literary, for longer stories
- 伝える: to convey, to communicate — focuses on the information being transmitted