I asked a Japanese friend (who happened to be with me at the time), and they said that it’s #1, and the meaning can be either positive ( you are much better than me) or negative (I don’t want to become this way).
There’s no て in the sentence, though 
6 Likes
Good point. I still feel it could be the same meaning, though. However, based on what @DIO-Berry wrote later (super cryptically 
), it might be rather meaning 1.
1 Like
Ooooooh 
either would fit here. Interesting interesting. If it’s the second too, that’d make sense thematically as Saezuru spoilers character a (the anata) tried to get character b (speaker) to quit and leave the profession, even giving him an out. Positive would also fit too though since they were talking about work right before. this is the kind of duality in meaning I’ve come to expect from this author.
2 Likes
Question,
Can anyone provide a thorough explanation of how can 聞く both represent the action of hearing/ listening and asking? What role does intention plays here? (Like, listening actively to someone I’m talking to, versus casually hearing something, of no interest as well).
I read somewhere that を with this verb is always used to listen while に is used to ask, is this true? If so, I suppose it’s because of the tendency of を and に being used dependently on the consciousness of the object?
On internet there are tons of half explanations but couldn’t find nothing really useful
1 Like
I wouldn’t personally generalize the を vs に situation like this. For instance, I don’t think it extends to motion verbs which can use both.
I think when 聞く is used to mean “to ask” it’s because the action centers on you who’s doing the asking so you use に to direct “asking” to someone. When meaning “to listen to”, you need something explicitly marked as an object which you’re applying 聞く to.
3 Likes
Also useful to note in the case of asking, を (usually? I’m always hesitant to claim something is always the case) marks what you’re asking about instead.
So I guess in that sense ◯を聞く in both cases refers to “hearing [about] ◯”, it’s just a distinction of whether you make it explicit that you put in some active effort too.
2 Likes
I don’t think there’s any distinction in terms of particles, but it’s usually fairly obvious from context.
for instance, 物音を聞く is clearly hearing but 道を聞く is probably going to be a question
4 Likes
Can you provide some examples to help me understand what you mean?
道を歩く (to walk along the road) and 銀行に歩く (to walk to the bank) are both entirely valid and have their own meanings based on which particle are used, but in neither case the object in question has consciousness.
I don’t think consciousness has anything to do with the distinction between に or を, really. It’s just a matter of marking the direct object (を) or indirect object (に).
7 Likes
Side note - I don’t have problems at understaing when it means to ask and when to listen, neither using the particles which feels quite intuitive to me - my question was oriented to understand what’s in the head of a japanese native, since they treat hearing and asking with he same verb and kanji?
I doubt a Japanese native thinks about it much more than an English speaker thinks about the various homonyms in English, honestly, but you’re not gonna get a definitive answer to that here from a bunch of non-natives, really If you really want to know the native perspective, you’re gonna have to ask a native.
That said, they’re definitely closely related concepts. Monolingual dictionaries list the “asking a question” meaning separately, but also list several forms of hearing verbal information from someone.
9 Likes
Actually there are three different kanji that can be used:
聞く - to hear (but can also mean to listen and to ask)
聴く - to listen
訊く - to ask
The latter two only carry the special meaning, the first one is the catch-all. They are all read the same.
11 Likes
mariodesu over here just asking questions and leaving without getting an answer, I see. 
But seriously, it’s because (usually) the whole purpose of asking a question is to hear the answer.
There are other verbs for asking as well. Such as たずねる, とう, and 質問する
10 Likes
What I want to know is why 香を聞く means “to smell incense”
Do Japanese ears work differently?
Or maybe it’s from that old saying:
If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it still smell?
5 Likes
Apparently it’s meant to evoke that there’s something deeper going on than just an odor entering your nostrils.
4 Likes
In English your feet smell, but your nose runs.
Maybe in Japanese your ears smell but your nose runs.
6 Likes
In Japanese indeed a nose can run (=to have a running nose).
1 Like
I always try to keep it as last resort
My man only jumps in when there’s an opportunity to fool me 
Anyway what I mean is that I was more interested in one of my questions over the others, since all the answers where oriented on the particles stuff
So it’s like saying “let me listen (to your answer)” instead of “let me ask (you something)”?
2 Likes
Oh, right, you tagged me before? You probably realized, but I probably will not respond to being tagged. It’s not personal, I just prefer not to be tagged in things.
If I am active when a question happens and I feel like I can contribute, I’ll jump in.
2 Likes
Okok 
Anyway, thanks for the answer