Skip to content
fluentbyear

SPANISH VERB

escuchar

to listen

  • #81 most used
  • Regular -ar verb
  • Gerund: escuchando
  • Past participle: escuchado

Conjugation

Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.

Present

Presente · now, habits and facts

  1. yo I listen
  2. tú you listen
  3. usted, él, ella he/she listens
  4. nosotros we listen
  5. vosotros Spain you all listen
  6. ustedes, ellos, ellas they listen

Past

Pretérito indefinido · finished actions

  1. yo I listened
  2. tú you listened
  3. usted, él, ella he/she listened
  4. nosotros we listened
  5. vosotros Spain you all listened
  6. ustedes, ellos, ellas they listened

Imperfect

Pretérito imperfecto · “used to” and “was …ing”

  1. yo I used to listen
  2. tú you used to listen
  3. usted, él, ella he/she used to listen
  4. nosotros we used to listen
  5. vosotros Spain you all used to listen
  6. ustedes, ellos, ellas they used to listen

Future

Futuro · plans and promises; in speech, “voy a hablar” is just as common

  1. yo I will listen
  2. tú you will listen
  3. usted, él, ella he/she will listen
  4. nosotros we will listen
  5. vosotros Spain you all will listen
  6. ustedes, ellos, ellas they will listen

Conditional

Condicional · “would”

  1. yo I would listen
  2. tú you would listen
  3. usted, él, ella he/she would listen
  4. nosotros we would listen
  5. vosotros Spain you all would listen
  6. ustedes, ellos, ellas they would listen

Present subjunctive

Presente de subjuntivo · wishes, doubts, “que …”

  1. yo (that) I listen
  2. tú (that) you listen
  3. usted, él, ella (that) he/she listen
  4. nosotros (that) we listen
  5. vosotros Spain (that) you all listen
  6. ustedes, ellos, ellas (that) they listen

Past subjunctive

Imperfecto de subjuntivo · “if I were”, “si …”

  1. yo (if) I listened
  2. tú (if) you listened
  3. usted, él, ella (if) he/she listened
  4. nosotros (if) we listened
  5. vosotros Spain (if) you all listened
  6. ustedes, ellos, ellas (if) they listened

Imperative

Imperativo · requests and orders; a negative one uses the subjunctive (no hables)

  1. tú listen!
  2. usted listen! (formal)
  3. nosotros listen! (let’s)
  4. vosotros Spain listen! (all of you)
  5. ustedes listen! (all of you)

How to use escuchar

One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.

  1. Present

    Escucho música en español mientras cocino.

    I listen to music in Spanish while I cook.

  2. Past

    ¿Escuchaste el ruido en la azotea?

    Did you hear the noise on the roof?

  3. Imperfect

    Mi papá escuchaba el radio cada mañana.

    My dad listened to the radio every morning.

  4. Future

    Te escucharé con atención, lo prometo.

    I'll listen to you carefully, I promise.

  5. Conditional

    Yo escucharía al doctor antes de decidir.

    I'd listen to the doctor before deciding.

  6. Present subjunctive

    Habla más fuerte para que te escuchen todos.

    Speak louder so everyone can hear you.

  7. Past subjunctive

    Si me escucharas, no cometerías ese error.

    If you listened to me, you wouldn't make that mistake.

  8. Imperative

    ¡Escucha esta canción, te va a encantar!

    Listen to this song, you're going to love it!

Good to know

  • "Escuchar" is to listen on purpose; "oír" is just to hear.

Where you hear escuchar

The lessons that teach a form of it, and how they say it.

Spanish · Beginner Level 2

  • En el patio se escucha música. You can hear music in the courtyard.
  • Escuché la historia de Elena. I listened to Elena's story.
  • Vamos a escuchar la música. We're going to listen to the music.

Spanish · Beginner Level 3

  • Escucho música en el carro. I listen to music in the car.
  • Escuchamos el eco. We listened to the echo.
  • Van a escuchar un pájaro. You're going to hear a bird.
21
What Is the Day of the Dead?

Beginner Level 2 · se escucha

Needs a subscription 13
The Pyramid

Beginner Level 3 · Escuchen.

Needs a subscription 19
Friends?

Beginner Level 3 · no escucha

Needs a subscription 19
The Housewarming

Intermediate Level 1 · lo escuché

Needs a subscription 27
It's Your Decision

Intermediate Level 1 · escucharía

Needs a subscription 18
It Gives Me Goose Bumps

Advanced Level 1 · Escuchad bien.

Needs a subscription 19
Had I Known

Advanced Level 1 · que lo escucharas

Needs a subscription 23
Midnight Mass

Advanced Level 1 · escuchar

Needs a subscription 19
Your Last Night of Freedom

Advanced Level 3 · Escúchala.

Needs a subscription

Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: regular -ar verb.