modality N4 uncommon casualpolitewritten
聞ける — can hear / can ask (potential of 聞く)
聞ける ・ きける
Meaning
- can hear / can listen to ~ — or, since 聞く also means 'to ask,' can ask — the potential form of 聞く
Key sentence
ここからでも、音楽がよく聞ける。
You can hear the music well even from here.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 聞く (godan verb) → potential | 聞く → 聞ける（く → ける） | 聞ける / 聞けない / 聞けます |
Examples
先生に質問が聞けて、よかった。
I'm glad I got to ask the teacher a question.
電波が悪くて、ラジオが聞けない。
The signal's bad, so I can't pick up the radio.
Easily confused with
聞こえる 聞こえる = a sound reaches your ears on its own ('is audible,' involuntary). 聞ける = you have the ability or chance to hear/listen, the potential of a deliberate act — 静かだから音楽が聞こえる vs ここなら聞ける. 〜れる／られる 聞ける is the godan potential of 聞く (く→ける). The general potential endings れる/られる cover other verbs (食べられる, 来られる).
Notes
- Because 聞く covers both 'hear/listen' and 'ask,' 聞ける means 'can hear' or 'can ask' depending on context. The thing heard/asked is usually marked with が (or を).
See 聞ける in real sentences
Jengo shows 聞ける the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar.