French · Everyday Verbs
"to listen" in French: écouter
écouter
To listen in French is écouter. J'écoute un podcast means I'm listening to a podcast. Écoute ! means Listen! It is active attention, unlike entendre (to hear).
Sharing headphones
Écoute cette chanson, elle est géniale.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce écouter
Say it
ay-koo-TAY
/e.ku.te/
Écouter is ay-koo-TAY. J'écoute is zhay-KOOT. Écoute ! is ay-KOOT.
"to listen" in French: quick reference
| French | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| écouter | to listen Infinitive. | Infinitive. |
| Écoute ! | Listen! Imperative. | Imperative. |
| j'écoute | I'm listening Present. | Present. |
| écouter de la musique | to listen to music Everyday hobby. | Everyday hobby. |
How to use écouter in real life
- 1Sharing headphones
Écoute cette chanson, elle est géniale.
Listen to this song, it's great.
Écoute !
- 2Commute
J'écoute un podcast dans le métro.
I listen to a podcast on the metro.
J'écoute.
- 3Class
Tu écoutes le prof ou ton téléphone ?
Are you listening to the teacher or your phone?
Tu écoutes.
Mistakes English speakers make with écouter
Incorrect: J'entends de la musique on purpose for hours.
Correct: J'écoute de la musique.
Deliberate listening uses écouter.
Incorrect: Listen-moi !
Correct: Écoute-moi !
Use Écoute-moi.
Good to know
Écoute can also open explanations in speech — Écoute, c'est simple… — like Look/Listen as a discourse marker.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Trying a new playlist together
ChatPal
Écoute le début, juste dix secondes.
Listen to the beginning, just ten seconds.
You
Ok… j'écoute. C'est quoi ce style ?
Okay… I'm listening. What style is this?
ChatPal
De la soul française.
French soul.
You
J'aime beaucoup.
I like it a lot.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"to listen" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "to listen" in French
How do you say to listen in French?
Écouter.
How do you say listen!?
Écoute !
Difference with entendre?
Écouter is intentional; entendre is hearing.
How do you say I'm listening to music?
J'écoute de la musique.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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