German · Everyday Verbs
"to hear" in German: hören
hören
To hear in German is hören. Say Hörst du das? Past is oft habe gehört. For listening on purpose use zuhören.
Noise next door
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How to pronounce hören
Say it
HUR-en
/ˈhøːʁən/
HUR-en. The ö is like e in her with rounded lips. Soft -en ending.
"to hear" in German: quick reference
| German | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| hören | to hear / to listen (to music) Core verb. | Core verb. |
| hörst du / hört ihr | do you hear Present questions. | Present questions. |
| gehört | heard Past participle with haben. | Past participle with haben. |
| Musik hören | to listen to music Common collocation. | Common collocation. |
How to use hören in real life
- 1Noise next door
Hörst du die Musik von nebenan?
Do you hear the music from next door?
Hörst is the du form of hören.
- 2Phone check
Ich höre dich schlecht, kannst du lauter sprechen?
I can barely hear you—can you speak up?
Ich höre for I hear.
- 3News
Hast du schon gehört? Der Laden macht zu.
Have you heard yet? The shop is closing.
Gehört as participle.
Mistakes English speakers make with hören
Incorrect: Ich höre zu die Musik.
Correct: Ich höre Musik. / Ich höre der Musik zu.
Musik hören for listening to music; zuhören needs a person/dative object.
Incorrect: Ich habe gehöhrt.
Correct: Ich habe gehört.
Past participle is gehört with one h after ö.
Good to know
Hören covers both hear and listen to music. For pay attention to someone speaking, Germans prefer zuhören. On the phone, Auf Wiederhören is the classic goodbye—literally until we hear each other again.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Trying to catch a distant announcement
ChatPal
Hörst du, was durchgesagt wird?
Do you hear what they're announcing?
You
Kaum. Ich höre nur Rauschen.
Hardly. I only hear static.
ChatPal
Komm näher zum Lautsprecher.
Come closer to the speaker.
You
Jetzt höre ich Gleis fünf.
Now I hear platform five.
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 hear" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "to hear" in German
How do you conjugate hören?
Ich höre, du hörst, er/sie hört, wir hören, ihr hört, sie hören.
What is the difference between hören and zuhören?
Hören is to hear (or listen to music). Zuhören is to listen attentively to someone.
How do you say I heard that…?
Ich habe gehört, dass…
How do you say listen to a podcast?
Einen Podcast hören.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
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- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
