escuchamos
/es-koo-CHAH-mos/
we listen
When 'escuchamos' means 'we listen', it describes the action of hearing that is currently happening or is a general habit.
escuchamos(verb)
we listen
?habitual action
,we are listening
?current action
we hear
?passive reception of sound (less common than 'oímos')
📝 In Action
Todos los días, **escuchamos** las noticias en la radio.
A1Every day, we listen to the news on the radio.
Por favor, no hables, ahora **escuchamos** al guía.
A1Please, don't talk, we are listening to the guide now.
Si no **escuchamos** lo que dice, no podemos ayudarlo.
A2If we don't listen to what he says, we can't help him.
💡 Grammar Points
The 'We' Form
This form, ending in -amos, is the standard way to talk about actions that 'we' (nosotros/nosotras) do. It is always the same for all regular -ar verbs.
Escuchar vs. Oír
We use 'escuchar' for active listening—when you intend to pay attention. Use 'oír' when you simply hear a sound without trying to.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Forgetting the 'to'
Mistake: "Escuchamos a la radio. (Missing the 'a' when listening to a person or entity.)"
Correction: Escuchamos la radio. (The preposition 'a' is only needed when listening to a person: 'Escuchamos a mi madre'.)
⭐ Usage Tips
Present Tense Dual Use
Unlike English, which uses 'we listen' and 'we are listening,' Spanish uses 'escuchamos' for both habitual actions ('We listen every day') and actions happening right now ('We are listening right now').
When 'escuchamos' means 'we listened', it refers to an action of hearing that was completed in the past.
📝 In Action
Ayer, **escuchamos** un concierto increíble en el parque.
A2Yesterday, we listened to an incredible concert in the park.
**Escuchamos** atentamente su discurso y luego aplaudimos.
A2We listened carefully to his speech and then we applauded.
Por primera vez, **escuchamos** lo que tenían que decir los vecinos.
B1For the first time, we listened to what the neighbors had to say.
💡 Grammar Points
Same Word, Different Time
Be careful! 'Escuchamos' is used for both the Present ('we listen') and the Preterite Past ('we listened'). Context words like 'ayer' (yesterday) or 'la semana pasada' (last week) will tell you which one is correct.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Confusing Past with Ongoing Past
Mistake: "Usar 'escuchamos' para una acción habitual en el pasado. (Using the Preterite form for an action that happened many times over a period.)"
Correction: Use the Imperfect form ('escuchábamos') for actions that were repeated or ongoing in the past: 'Escuchábamos esa banda cuando éramos jóvenes.' (We used to listen to that band when we were young.)
⭐ Usage Tips
Preterite Time Markers
If you see time words like 'anoche' (last night), 'hace dos días' (two days ago), or 'entonces' (then), you know 'escuchamos' refers to a finished action in the past.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: escuchamos
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'escuchamos' to describe an action that happened and finished yesterday?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'escuchamos' mean two different things (we listen and we listened)?
This is a common feature in regular Spanish verbs ending in -ar. The 'we' form for the Present Tense (we listen) and the 'we' form for the Simple Past Tense (we listened) are spelled exactly the same. You have to rely on the rest of the sentence (like time words or context) to know which meaning is intended.
Is 'escuchamos' the only way to say 'we are listening'?
No. While 'Escuchamos' is the simplest and most common way, you can also use the continuous tense: 'Estamos escuchando' (We are being/staying listening). Both are correct, but 'escuchamos' is often preferred for brevity.