oír y escuchar

Question

As far as I know oír = to hear and escuchar = to listen.

I say "no te oigo" when I can't hear you (because of noise or whatever). If I were to say " no te escucho o no te estoy escuchando" it would mean that I'm not listening to you (because I'm busy, or I don't want to hear you).

I understand that many native speakers use these verbs interchangeably, in fact most of the Latin American people I have spoken to tend to use escuchar much more than oír.

I'm probably nitpicking but is there no difference between hearing and listening when translated into Spanish?

Answer 1

¡Hola!, Jaimetayag:

My mother tongue is English, not Spanish. For that reason, I may not have the perspective on the Spanish usages that you want. I am probably as much of a words and meaning nitpicker as you. As between "I'm not listening" and "I can't hear you", I would choose as you have to go with "I can't hear you."

On the other hand, I'm reminded of children when they "rag" on each other and when child A is angry at child B and wants to aggravate B, A might say to B, "I can't hear you!" just to be provacative. Can you imagine A, hands over ears saying to B, "I can't hear you!"

That is, of course, an unlikely mature persons scenario. But, for that reason alone, my personal preference would be to say "No puedo oírte" meaning "I'm unable to hear you."

It's just a thought.

Recuerdos/Regards,

Moe

Answer 2

HI Jaime, this is so wrongly used it angers me, as the words have a different meaning. However as they are so often used interchangably, must one go with the "crowd"?

I won't, for me escuchar is listen , hear = oír

Please read this on this topic

Heidita a mí me cae pesado también. Sencillamente, no oigo porque no puedo, y no escucho porque no quiero. - jaimetayag, Dec 1, 2009

Answer 3

Sí, me escucho. (Yes, I am listening)

No, quentin, this means:

I am listening to myself.

I'm giving up on the detransitizing se. - 0074b507, Dec 1, 2009

Answer 4

Just because I like to quibble (didn't I just see nitpick just used):

escuchar is to listen to when used transitively and to listen when used intransitively.

Most beginners (and myself) throw in an "a" where it is not needed.

Escucho música. (I am listening to music).

Escucho a música. (incorrect)

Sí, me escucho. (Yes, I am listening)

I am listening = Estoy escuchando - ian-hill, Dec 1, 2009