Inklingo

oyó

oh-YOH/oˈʝo/

oyó means heard in Spanish (The past tense action performed by 'he,' 'she,' 'it,' or 'you (formal)').

heard

Also: listened
VerbA1irregular ir
A storybook illustration showing a woman in a garden subtly turning her head toward a singing blue bird perched on a branch, indicating she has just perceived the sound.
infinitiveoír
gerundoyendo
past Participleoído

📝 In Action

Mi jefe oyó la conversación desde su oficina.

A1

My boss heard the conversation from his office.

¿Usted oyó las noticias de esta mañana?

A2

Did you (formal) hear the news this morning?

El perro oyó el silbato y corrió.

A1

The dog heard the whistle and ran.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • oyó un gritoheard a shout
  • oyó la radioheard the radio (usually meaning listened to it)

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/ustedoye
yooigo
oyes
ellos/ellas/ustedesoyen
nosotrosoímos
vosotrosoís

imperfect

él/ella/ustedoía
yooía
oías
ellos/ellas/ustedesoían
nosotrosoíamos
vosotrosoíais

preterite

él/ella/ustedoyó
yo
oíste
ellos/ellas/ustedesoyeron
nosotrosoímos
vosotrosoísteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/ustedoiga
yooiga
oigas
ellos/ellas/ustedesoigan
nosotrosoigamos
vosotrosoigáis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedoyera/oyese
yooyera/oyese
oyeras/oyeses
ellos/ellas/ustedesoyeran/oyesen
nosotrosoyéramos/oyésemos
vosotrosoyerais/oyeseis

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: oyó

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses the completed past action form 'oyó'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family
oír(to hear (infinitive))Verb
oído(ear / sense of hearing)Noun
oyente(listener)Noun
🎵 Rhymes
viodio
📚 Etymology

The verb 'oír' comes directly from the Latin verb *audīre*, meaning 'to hear.' Over centuries, the sounds shifted, and the 'd' disappeared, but the core meaning remains the same.

First recorded: Before the 10th century (as *oír*)

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: ouviuItalian: udì

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does 'oír' change the 'i' to a 'y' in 'oyó'?

This is a key irregularity! When the vowel 'i' is between two other vowels (like 'o-i-ó'), Spanish grammar changes the 'i' to a 'y' to prevent an awkward sound and to separate the two vowel sounds clearly. This happens in the preterite and the subjunctive tenses.