To Listen To
To Listen
transitive verb, godan verb
Because the hiragana ends with an う sound, you know this word is a verb. The kanji itself means listen and the verb vocab version is to listen to.
Unlike 聞く, which can simply mean "to hear," 聴く refers to actively listening to something with intention. It's most commonly used for listening to music, but you can also use it with people when you want to emphasize your engagement, like 耳を傾けて聴く (listen attentively).
Like most verbs, this word uses the kun'yomi reading. You haven't learned that reading yet, but thankfully this word has the same reading as 聞く. They have similar meanings, so it makes sense, right?
音楽を聴く
to listen to music
曲を聴く
to listen to a song
ラジオを聴く
to listen to the radio
ショパンを聴く
to listen to Chopin
森くんって、洋楽聴くの？
Do you listen to Western music, Mori-kun?
ヘッドホンで音楽を聴いていたので、話しかけられたのに気づかなかったんです。
I was listening to music with headphones, so I didn't notice when someone tried to talk to me.
耳をすませてよく聴いてください。
Perk up your ears and listen carefully.
私は静かな場所でベートーヴェンの第九を聴くのが好きだ。
I like listening to Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in a quiet place.