German word

hören

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈhøːʁən/

Meaning

  • verblisten to

Example

Ich höre Musik.

I am listening to music.

Illustration for hören (listen to)

More examples

Kannst du mich hören?

Can you hear me?

Core concept

Sound reaches the ear, and attention can turn toward a speaker or a piece of music.

Common phrases

  • ein Geräusch hören

    hear a noise

  • jemanden hören

    hear someone

  • die Nachrichten hören

    listen to the news

Similar words

zuhören: Give focused attention to someone speaking or to a sound.
verstehen: Grasp the meaning of what has been heard.
mitbekommen: Notice something heard nearby, often without deliberately listening.
anhören: Listen closely to a piece, statement, or recording all the way through.

Definition in German

Hören meint das akustische Wahrnehmen von Tönen oder Stimmen; idiomatisch kann 'auf jemanden hören' bedeuten, dessen Rat zu beachten und ihm zu folgen.

Word origin

German hören continues Old High German hōren and belongs to the inherited Germanic family that includes English hear.

Usage tips

  • In the sense of heeding advice, hören commonly appears with auf and the accusative, as in auf jemanden hören.

Other meanings

  • hearverb
  • heedverb

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word