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.

oyó

oh-YOH

VerbA1irregular ir

heard?The past tense action performed by 'he,' 'she,' 'it,' or 'you (formal)'

Also:listened?In the sense of accidentally perceiving sound, not actively paying attention

Quick Reference

infinitiveoír

gerundoyendo

past Participleoído

📝 In Action

Mi jefe oyó la conversación desde su oficina.

My boss heard the conversation from his office.

¿Usted oyó las noticias de esta mañana?

Did you (formal) hear the news this morning?

El perro oyó el silbato y corrió.

The dog heard the whistle and ran.

Word Connections

Synonyms

escuchó (listened (paid attention))

Common Collocations

oyó un grito – heard a shout
oyó la radio – heard the radio (usually meaning listened to it)

💡 Grammar Points

The 'Y' Irregularity

The verb 'oír' is special! When the vowel 'i' of the ending comes immediately after the vowel 'o' in the stem, the 'i' changes to a 'y' to make the sound smoother, as seen in 'oyó' and 'oyeran'.

Action Completed in the Past

'Oyó' uses the preterite tense, which means the act of hearing started and finished at a specific time in the past (e.g., 'He heard it right then').

❌ Common Pitfalls

Hearing vs. Listening

Mistake: "Using 'oyó' when you mean 'paid attention' (Escuchó la conferencia)."

Correction: Use 'oyó' for perceiving sound (like an unexpected noise) and 'escuchó' for actively paying attention (like listening to music or a lecture).

⭐ Usage Tips

Focus on the Third Person

'Oyó' is only used for singular subjects: 'él' (he), 'ella' (she), 'usted' (formal you), or 'eso' (it/that).

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/ustedoye

yooigo

túoyes

ellos/ellas/ustedesoyen

nosotrosoímos

vosotrosoís

imperfect

él/ella/ustedoía

yooía

túoías

ellos/ellas/ustedesoían

nosotrosoíamos

vosotrosoíais

preterite

él/ella/ustedoyó

yooí

túoíste

ellos/ellas/ustedesoyeron

nosotrosoímos

vosotrosoísteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/ustedoiga

yooiga

túoigas

ellos/ellas/ustedesoigan

nosotrosoigamos

vosotrosoigáis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedoyera/oyese

yooyera/oyese

túoyeras/oyeses

ellos/ellas/ustedesoyeran/oyesen

nosotrosoyéramos/oyésemos

vosotrosoyerais/oyeseis

View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ 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

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.