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"Leer" is a transitive verb which is often translated as "to read", and "oír" is a transitive verb which is often translated as "to hear". Learn more about the difference between "leer" and "oír" below.
leer(
leh
-
ehr
)A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g., I bought a book.).
a. to read
Deberías leer las obras completas de Shakespeare.You should read the complete works of Shakespeare.
a. to read
A ese jugador de póker es imposible leerle la cara.It's impossible to read that poker player's face.
3. (computing)
4. (education)
a. to defend
Leyó su tesis doctoral frente a un panel de profesores.She defended her doctoral thesis in front of a panel of professors.
An intransitive verb is one that does not require a direct object (e.g., The man sneezed.).
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.
