彼が秘密を打ち明け始めるとみんな聞き耳をたてた。

Sentence Analyzer

English Translation

We were all ears when he started to tell us his secret.

Furigana

彼(かれ)が秘密(ひみつ)を打(う)ち明(あ)け始(はじ)めるとみんな聞(きみみ)き耳()をたてた。

Romanji

Kare ga himitsu o uchiakehajimeru to minna kikimimi o tateta.

Words

彼 (かれ)

he; him; his; boyfriend

が (が)

indicates sentence subject (occasionally object); indicates possessive (esp. in literary expressions); but; however; still; and

秘密 (ひみつ)

secret; secrecy; confidentiality; privacy; secret; mystery; esoteric teachings

を (を)

indicates direct object of action; indicates subject of causative expression; indicates an area traversed; indicates time (period) over which action takes place; indicates point of departure or separation of action; indicates object of desire, like, hate, etc.

打ち開ける (ぶちあける)

to forcefully open up a hole (in a wall, etc.); to speak frankly, holding nothing back; to throw out everything inside

と (と)

if; when; and; with; particle used for quoting (with speech, thoughts, etc.); quoting particle; promoted pawn; indicates question (sentence end)

皆 (みな、みんな)

all; everyone; everybody; everything

聞き耳 (ききみみ)

straining one's ears

建てる (たてる)

to build; to construct