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"Oír" is a transitive verb which is often translated as "to hear", and "ayer" is an adverb which is often translated as "yesterday". Learn more about the difference between "oír" and "ayer" below.
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.
ayer(
ah
-
yehr
)An adverb is a word that describes a verb, an adjective, or other adverbs (e.g., to run quickly, very tired).
A masculine noun is used with masculine articles and adjectives (e.g., el hombre guapo, el sol amarillo).
2. (literary) (recent past)
A word or phrase restricted in usage to literature or established writing (e.g., sex, once upon a time).
a. yesteryear (literary)
A word or phrase restricted in usage to literature or established writing (e.g., sex, once upon a time).
La vida simple del ayer que echamos tanto de menos.The simple life of yesteryear that we miss so much.
