Spanish Conversation · Level 37
74 words
Spanish word
oír
Pronunciation
IPA/oˈiɾ/
Meaning
- verbhear
Example
¿Puedes oír la música?
Can you hear the music?
More examples
Durante la tormenta no se podía oír nada.
During the storm you couldn't hear a thing.
Core concept
Auditory perception of noises or voices without deliberate listening.
Common phrases
oír un ruido
hear a noise
oír a alguien
hear someone's voice
oír la televisión
hear the television
Similar words
escuchar: Listen deliberately to speech or music, focusing to understand or appreciate it.
atender: Focus mental attention on a speaker or situation to comprehend or address it.
detectar: Sense or discover audio signals or events using detectors, instruments, or hearing.
Definition in Spanish
Percibir sonidos o voces mediante el sentido del oído, sin implicar necesariamente atención voluntaria.
Word origin
The verb traces to Latin audīre meaning to hear and passed into Old Spanish as oír after regular Iberian sound changes, retaining the sense of receiving sound.
Usage tips
- Orthography traps include the acute accent in the infinitive oír and in preterite forms like oí, and the present stem shows an inserted g in yo oigo which learners often miss.