hören
to hear (perceive sounds) · to listen (pay attention) · to obey, to listen to someone's advice · to hear from someone
Hören means 'to hear' or 'to listen'. It is used for perceiving sounds and for paying attention to what someone says. Germans also use it in phrases like 'auf jemanden hören' (to obey/listen to someone) and 'von jemandem hören' (to hear from someone).
What hören means
- to hear (perceive sounds) — when you notice sounds with your ears, often without intention
- to listen (pay attention) — when you deliberately focus on a sound or someone speaking
- to obey, to listen to someone's advice — with 'auf + accusative', meaning to follow someone's instructions or advice
- to hear from someone — with 'von + dative', meaning to receive news or communication from someone
Heard in real German videos
Lines where hören was actually spoken, from German videos watched with DeutschChat.
- Willst du das wirklich hören?Do you really want to hear that?
- Also jetzt hör mal gut zu.So now listen carefully.
Example sentences
- Ich höre Musik.I listen to music.
- Hörst du das?Do you hear that?
- Er hört auf seine Mutter.He listens to his mother.
- Wir haben lange nichts von ihm gehört.We haven't heard from him for a long time.
Grammar
| Present (ich/du/er) | höre / hörst / hört |
|---|---|
| Simple past | hörte |
| Perfect | hat gehört |
| Separable | no |
| Case | accusative (direct object) |
Hören is a regular weak verb. The perfect tense uses 'haben'. When used with 'auf', it takes the accusative case.
Common phrases
- Hör zu!Listen up!
- auf jemanden hörento listen to someone / obey someone
- von jemandem hörento hear from someone
- das lässt sich hörenthat sounds good (literally: that can be heard)
- Hör auf!Stop it!
The mistake English speakers make
English speakers often confuse 'hören' with 'zuhören'. 'Hören' means to hear or listen in general, while 'zuhören' means to listen attentively to someone or something. Use 'zuhören' when you are actively paying attention to a speaker.
Don’t confuse it with
- zuhören — Zuhören means to listen attentively to someone or something, while hören is more general and can mean simply to hear.
- gehören — Gehören means 'to belong to', while hören means 'to hear'.
Questions learners ask
What is the difference between 'hören' and 'zuhören'?
'Hören' means to hear or listen in general, while 'zuhören' means to listen attentively to someone or something. Use 'zuhören' when you are actively paying attention.
How do you say 'listen to me' in German?
You can say 'Hör mir zu!' (informal singular) or 'Hören Sie mir zu!' (formal). 'Hör auf mich!' means 'listen to me' in the sense of obeying my advice.
Is 'hören' a regular verb?
Yes, 'hören' is a regular weak verb. Its past tense is 'hörte' and the past participle is 'gehört'.