Inklingo

How to Say "listened to" in Spanish

English → Spanish

escuchado

es-coo-CHAH-doh/es.kuˈtʃa.ðo/

adjectiveB2general
Use 'escuchado' as an adjective to describe advice, recommendations, or ideas that are commonly heard or heeded by many people.
A brightly colored small blue bird perched on a branch, singing loudly. Stylized, visible sound waves emanate from the bird's beak towards a large, simple, human ear shape floating nearby.

Examples

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.

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' (as a past participle) when referring to the act of hearing or perceiving a sound or story, often in a singular or past event context.
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.)

Adjective vs. Past Participle

Learners often confuse 'escuchado' and 'oído' by using 'oído' when they mean something is widely 'listened to' or heeded by a group. Remember, 'escuchado' describes something that is generally heard or taken into account, while 'oído' focuses on the act of hearing itself.

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