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How to Say "heard" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “heard” is “oyó” — use 'oyó' when referring to the simple past action of perceiving sound, typically performed by 'he,' 'she,' 'it,' or 'you (formal)'..

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oyó

VerbA1General
Use 'oyó' when referring to the simple past action of perceiving sound, typically performed by 'he,' 'she,' 'it,' or 'you (formal)'.

Examples

Mi jefe oyó la conversación desde su oficina.

My boss heard the conversation from his office.

escuchado

es-coo-CHAH-doh/es.kuˈtʃa.ðo/

Past ParticipleA1General
Use 'escuchado' as a past participle with 'haber' to form perfect tenses, indicating an action that has been done or experienced.
A young child sitting cross-legged, holding a large, bright red seashell up to their ear, concentrating intensely on the sound inside.

Examples

Nunca he escuchado una ópera en vivo.

I have never listened to an opera live.

¿Quién ha escuchado ese extraño ruido?

Who has heard that strange noise?

Era un consejo muy escuchado entre los estudiantes.

It was advice that was widely listened to among the students.

Las palabras escuchadas en la radio resultaron ser falsas.

The words heard on the radio turned out to be false.

Forming the 'Have Done' Tense

You combine a form of the helper verb 'haber' (like 'he', 'has', 'ha') with 'escuchado' to talk about actions that happened recently or actions that affect the present moment. For example, 'Ella ha escuchado' means 'She has listened.'

Matching the Noun

When 'escuchado' describes a noun (like 'rumor' or 'música'), it acts like a regular adjective and must change its ending to match the noun's gender and quantity: escuchado (m. singular), escuchada (f. singular), escuchados (m. plural), escuchadas (f. plural).

Forgetting Agreement

Mistake: “La canción es escuchado.”

Correction: La canción es escuchada. (Since 'canción' is feminine, the adjective must be feminine.)

oído

oh-EE-doh/oˈiðo/

Past ParticipleA2General
Use 'oído' in compound tenses with 'haber' to indicate the act of hearing or perceiving sound, often implying a lack of prior experience.
A profile illustration of a person's head, focusing on their ear, with a small, colorful musical note floating right next to it, indicating sound was received.

Examples

Nunca he oído una historia tan increíble.

I have never heard such an incredible story.

Nunca he oido una historia tan increíble.

I have never heard such an incredible story.

La canción oido en la radio era muy pegadiza.

The song heard on the radio was very catchy.

Forming Perfect Tenses

Use 'oido' after a form of the verb 'haber' (to have) to describe actions completed in the past: 'He oído' (I have heard).

Using 'Escuchado'

Mistake: “He escuchado la noticia.”

Correction: He oído la noticia. (While 'escuchado' is okay, 'oído' is often preferred for receiving sounds or news, whereas 'escuchar' emphasizes the act of paying attention.)

entendió

VerbA2General
Use 'entendió' when the focus is on comprehending or grasping the meaning of something that was said or explained.

Examples

Por fin entendió la explicación del profesor.

He finally understood the teacher's explanation.

Oír vs. Escuchar in the Past

Learners often confuse 'oyó'/'oído' (to hear) with 'escuchó'/'escuchado' (to listen). While 'oír' is about the physical act of perceiving sound, 'escuchar' implies paying attention and making an effort to understand. Use 'oyó' for simple past perception and 'escuchado' when forming perfect tenses related to intentional listening.

Related Translations

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