Spanish word

escuchar

Pronunciation

IPA/eskuˈtʃaɾ/

Meaning

  • verblisten to

Example

¿Escuchas música ahora?

Are you listening to music now?

Illustration for escuchar (listen to)

More examples

No pude escuchar la conversación por el ruido.

I couldn't listen to the conversation because of the noise.

Core concept

Attentive listening to speech or music.

Common phrases

  • escuchar música

    listen to music

  • escuchar la radio

    listen to the radio

  • escuchar a alguien

    listen to someone

Similar words

oír: Registers sounds or voices passively as they enter the ear.
atender: Attends to someone's needs or a situation in order to help or address it.
poner atención: Concentrates attention deliberately to take in information.
hacer caso: Heeds someone's advice or instructions and adjusts behavior accordingly.

Definition in Spanish

Prestar atención con los oídos para percibir palabras, sonidos o música de forma deliberada.

Word origin

Derived from Latin auscultāre through Old Spanish and other Romance stages, which explains its emphasis on listening intentionally.

Usage tips

  • Place the preposition a before a person who is the object (escuchar a María) but not before things (escuchar música), and do not use escuchar for passive hearing.

Opposites

  • ignorarignoreverb
  • desoírdisregardverb

Related words

  • escuchalisteningnoun
  • escuchadorlistenernoun
  • escuchableaudibleadjective

Word lists with this word