Escuchar vs Oír: What’s the Difference Between These Two Spanish Verbs?
Escuchar and oir can be challenging verbs to master for Spanish learners.
People tend to use both verbs to reference the art of hearing and listening. Both words are used interchangeably but have different meanings when you use them in practice.
Even native speakers tend to confuse them with each other, which makes it difficult for Spanish learners who want to practice their conversation skills.
Keep reading for an insightful lesson and pop quiz on the difference between the verbs escuchar and oir in Spanish.
The Meaning of Escuchar in Spanish
The verb escuchar in Spanish language refers to the art of listening with intent and responding. Escuchar in Spanish means the person receiving the message is paying attention. Escuchar requires you to use your concentration and make an effort.
Conjugation of Escuchar
In order to conjugate escuchar in Spanish, you need to consider it’s a regular verb ending in -ar. These are the most common verbs in the language and are fairly simple to conjugate because their irregularities are small.
Let’s examine the simple conjugation of escuchar in Spanish.
| English | Spanish |
| I listen | yo escucho |
| you listen | tu escuchas |
| you listen | usted escucha |
| he, she listens | el, ella escucha |
| we listen | nosotros escuchamos |
| you listen | ustedes escuchan |
| they listen | ellos, ellas escuchan |
Example Sentences
Yo escucho a mis clients.
I listen to my customers.
¿Me escuchas cuando te hablo?
Do you listen when I speak to you?
Ella escucha la radio.
She listens to the radio.
Nosotros escuchamos la conferencia.
We listened to the conference.
Learn more about -AR Verbs in Spanish and Their Conjugation in this educational and fun blog post.
The Meaning of Oír in Spanish
The verb oir in Spanish stands for the sensory act of listening. Oír is used in contexts where you have no control of the sounds you’re exposed to. Oír is involuntary because you are not predisposed to a sound, it suddenly happens, and then your mind processes it.
Take for example a bomb, a bang, a horn, or even background music. All of these are things that you usually have no control over.
Conjugation of Oír
If you want to conjugate oír in Spanish you need to consider the accent and the fact that some verbs with -i often change to -y when conjugated.
Let’s examine the basic conjugation of oír in the present indicative.
| English | Spanish |
| I hear | yo oigo |
| you hear | tu oyes |
| you hear | usted oye |
| he, she hears | el, ella oye |
| we hear | nosotros oímos |
| you hear | ustedes oyen |
| they hear | ellos, ellas oyen |
Example Sentences
Desde mi casa oigo los aviones del aeropuerto.
From my house, I hear the planes from the airport.
Mi abuelo no oye bien, tienes que hablar más recio.
My grandpa doesn’t hear too well, you need to speak louder.
¿Oyes la construcción de la casa de los vecinos?
Can you hear the construction activity at the neighbors house?
Ellos oyen la radio mientras duermen.*
They hear the radio during their sleep.
*This doesn’t mean they are listening to the radio but rather that their ears can perceive the sound of a radio whether they choose to or not.
Dive deep into The Conjugation of Oír in Spanish in this blog post with a free PDF lesson.
How To Use Escuchar and Oír
In many cases these two verbs are used interchangeably between each other. Both escuchar and oír apply to the following different scenarios.
Listening to the Radio or Music
Estoy escuchando la radio./ Estoy oyendo la radio.
I’m listening to the radio.
Ana está escuchando mi disco favorito. / Ana está oyendo mi disco favorite.
Ana is listening to my favorite album.
External Events
Puedo escuchar el tráfico desde mi casa. / Puedo oír el tráfico desde mi casa.
I can hear traffic from my house.
Escucho a los niños jugando en el parque. / Oigo a los niños jugando en el parque.
I hear the children playing in the park.
Mi mamá escuchó un ruido. / My mom oyó un ruido.
My mom heard a noise.
Listening to Requests
Mi mamá escucha las súplicas de su amiga. / Mi mamá oyó las súplicas de su amiga.
My mom heard her friend’s requests.
Using Escuchar in Spanish
Escuchar in Spanish carries an intention and actually acknowledges what you listen to.
Escuchar applies to scenarios like listening to a person and active speaker. Let’s see some examples.
Me fascina escuchar jazz en vivo.
I love listening to live jazz.
¿Estás escuchando mi consejo?
Are you listening to my advice?
Debes escuchar lo que dice el profesor en clase.
You must listen to what the professor says in class.
Escuchar in Spanish Phrases
A mí me gusta escuchar pódcasts.
I like listening to podcasts.
Mi libro favorito para escuchar es Orgullo y prejuicio.
My favorite book to listen to is Pride and Prejudice.
¿Puedo escuchar la nota de voz otra vez?
Can I listen to the voice note again?
Estoy escuchando la conferencia.
I’m listening to the conference.
La madre escuchó a su hijo con atención.
The mother listened to her son with attention.
Using Oír in Spanish
Oír is common to use when you refer to music, concerts, and entertainment. Keep in mind escuchar can also apply to these scenarios.
Oír is also used to call someone’s attention. The imperative forms of oir are frequently heard in Latin American countries. The forms oye, oiga, oigan, and óyeme are used as conversation starters. It can be used as a word similar to “Hey!” in English.
Here are some examples.
¡Oye hijo! ¿Qué haces?
Hey son! ¿What are you doing?
Óyeme, ¿a dónde crees que vas?
Hey, where do you think you’re going?
Oír in Spanish Phrases
Mi nueva bocina no se oye.
My new speaker doesn’t work.
¿No oyes a los perros ladrando?
Can’t you hear the dogs barking?
Me despierto cuando oigo mi alarma.
I wake up when I hear my alarm.
Puedes salir a la calle cuando oigas la bocina de mi carro.
You can go outside when you hear my car’s horn.
¿Has oído esta canción?
Have you heard this song?
Escuchar and Oír Spanish Expressions
Since both of these verbs are often used interchangeably, there are different expressions that use escuchar and oír to say “listen” in Spanish.
Let’s take a look at a few examples.
- Escuchar a escondidas means eavesdropping and listening in secret.
- Oír por casualidad means listening by chance or accident. It stands for overhearing.
- ¿Me oyes? is used to call attention and to ask if you’re being understood.
- Oír, ver, callar means hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil. This saying is a known proverb.
Discover other Spanish Phrases To Say Listen in this amusing blog post full of curiosities.
Escuchar Vs Oír Practice Quiz
Take this lesson for a spin and put your new knowledge to the test with this practice quiz.
1. Te veo distraído. ¿Me estás _____________?
2. En la noche _____________ un ruido en la cocina pero no le puse atención.
3. Te recomiendo que _____________ el pódcast nuevo.
4. ¿Me _____________? Hay mucho ruido en mi casa y el teléfono no funciona bien.
5. ¿Has _____________ el nuevo álbum de Jennifer Lopez?
6. Sí _____________ el ruido pero no le dimos importancia.
7. Está sonando tu celular. ¿No _____________?
8. Estoy muy concentrada _____________ la historia.
9. Quiero _____________ el nuevo libro de Isabel Allende.
10. No le puse atención a la película, solo la _____________ de lejos.
¡Aprende a escuchar en español!
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Join a free class with our certified teachers from Guatemala and practice conversation with a native speaker. They’ll give you all the tools you need to become fluent and dominate similar verbs like escuchar and oír with confidence.
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