listen
/ˈlɪs.ən/ IELTSAcademic
verb
To pay attention to sound or to hear carefully. It often means you are trying to understand what you hear.
- Listen carefully to the instructions.
- I listened for footsteps outside.
- Please listen before you answer.
Adinary Nuance
Listen is close to hear, but they are not the same. Hear is about sound reaching your ears, often without effort. Listen means giving attention on purpose. Use listen when someone is trying to focus on sound, speech, or advice.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- nghe
- Spanish
- escuchar
- Chinese
- 听
- Japanese
- 聞く
- Korean
- 듣다
Etymology
Listen comes from Old English hlysnan, meaning “to hear” or “to pay attention.” Its form changed over time in Middle English and became the modern verb listen.
Common phrases
listen carefullylisten to musiclisten to advicelisten in
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between listen and hear?
- Hear is passive. Listen is active and needs attention.
- Is listen followed by to?
- Yes, we usually say listen to someone or something.
- Can I say listen me?
- No. Say listen to me.