How to Say "you hear" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “you hear” is “escuchan” — use 'escuchan' when you are addressing a group of people (ustedes) and referring to the act of perceiving sound or listening..
escuchan
es-KOO-chahn/esˈku.tʃan/
Examples
Los estudiantes escuchan atentamente la lección.
The students listen attentively to the lesson.
Los niños escuchan un cuento antes de dormir.
The children listen to a story before sleeping.
Ustedes escuchan música muy fuerte en el coche.
You (plural formal) listen to music very loudly in the car.
Es importante que me escuchen cuando hablo de seguridad.
It is important that they listen to me when I talk about safety. (Special verb form)
Three Roles of 'Escuchan'
This single form means three things: 1. 'They listen' (statement), 2. 'You (plural formal) listen' (statement), or 3. 'That they/you listen' (a special verb form used after expressions of desire or doubt, like 'Quiero que...').
Active Listening
Use escuchar when someone is actively paying attention (listening). Use oír when sound simply reaches your ears (hearing). 'Escuchan' implies effort.
Listening to 'To'
Mistake: “Using 'escuchan a' before an object that isn't a person, e.g., 'Escuchan a la radio.'”
Correction: Unlike English, you don't need the preposition 'a' before things: 'Escuchan la radio.' Only use 'a' before people: 'Escuchan a sus padres.'
oye
/OY-eh//ˈo.ʝe/
Examples
¿Oye usted el ruido de la calle?
Do you hear the noise from the street?
Ella oye un pájaro cantar fuera de su ventana.
She hears a bird singing outside her window.
Disculpe, ¿usted oye esa alarma?
Excuse me, do you (formal) hear that alarm?
Oye, necesito tu ayuda.
Listen, I need your help.
Two Jobs in One Word
Oye comes from the verb oír (to hear). It can mean 'he/she/you (formal) hears' in a regular sentence. It's also the command form for 'tú' (you, informal), meaning 'Listen!'
Hearing vs. Listening
Mistake: “Using `oír` (to hear) when you mean `escuchar` (to listen actively).”
Correction: `Oír` is passive, like a sound reaching your ears. `Escuchar` is active, like paying attention to music. Use `oye` to get attention, but you might follow it with `escucha` to ask someone to pay attention to what you're saying.
Plural vs. Formal Singular
Related Translations
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