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"Escuchar música" is an intransitive verb phrase which is often translated as "to listen to music", and "oír" is a transitive verb which is often translated as "to hear". Learn more about the difference between "escuchar música" and "oír" below.
escuchar música(
ehs
-
koo
-
chahr
moo
-
see
-
kah
)An intransitive verb phrase is a phrase that combines a verb with a preposition or other particle and does not require a direct object (e.g., Everybody please stand up.).
1. (general)
a. to listen to music
En el tren todos van con sus audífonos puestos, escuchando música.Everyone on the train has their headphones on, listening to music.
Las niñas pasaron toda la tarde escuchando música en sus habitaciones.The girls spent all afternoon listening to music in their rooms.
oír(
oh
-
eer
)A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g., I bought a book.).
a. to hear
Las paredes son tan finas que oigo a los vecinos hablar.The walls are so thin I can hear the neighbors talking.
a. to hear
Me quejé a mucha gente, pero nadie quiso oírme.I complained to many people, but nobody wanted to hear me.
a. to get (colloquial)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
“No lo vuelvas a hacer, ¿me oyes?” dijo el maestro."Don't do it again, got it?" said the teacher.
oírse
A pronominal verb always uses a reflexive pronoun. (e.g., Te ves cansado.).
A reciprocal verb is a verb that indicates that two or more subjects perform an action on each other (e.g., Ellos se abrazan.).
a. to hear each other
Fue una llamada muy frustrante porque no nos oíamos nada.It was a very frustrating call because we couldn't hear each other at all.
