listen

== English == === Alternative forms === lisen (obsolete) lis'en, lissen (eye dialect, rare) === Etymology === From Middle English listenen, listnen, alteration (due to Middle English listen (“to listen, give heed to”)) of Old English hlysnan (“to listen”), from Proto-Germanic *hlusnijaną, *hlusnōną (compare Middle High German lüsenen), from Proto-Germanic *hlusēną (compare Old High German hlosēn), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱlew- (“to hear”). Cognate with Swedish lyssna (“to listen”). Compare Ancient Greek κλαίω (klaíō, “to make known, famous”), Welsh clywed (“to hear”), Latin clueō (“to be famous”), Lithuanian klausýti, Old Church Slavonic слушати (slušati, “to hear”), Sanskrit श्रोषति (śróṣati, “an exclamation used in making an offering with fire to the gods or departed spirits”) & Sanskrit श्लोक्य (ślókya, “voice, sound, noisy”)). Related to loud and German lauschen. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈlɪsən/, [ˈlɪsən] ~ [ˈlɪsn̩] Rhymes: -ɪsən Hyphenation: lis‧ten === Verb === listen (third-person singular simple present listens, present participle listening, simple past and past participle listened) (intransitive except in archaic usage) To use one's sense of hearing and auditory cognition in an intentional way; to make deliberate use of one's ears; to pay attention to or wait for a specific sound. Synonyms: heed, mind, note, pay attention, attend Antonym: ignore (transitive, archaic) [with to] I like to listen to music. [with for] You should listen for the starting gun. (intransitive) To accept advice or obey instruction; to agree or assent. Synonym: mind Antonym: disregard Listen, the only reason I yelled at you was because I was upset, OK? Good children listen to their parents. ==== Usage notes ==== In English, listen and hear are two primary verbs relating to audial perception. To hear most commonly represents automatic, unconscious, or passive perception of sound, while listen generally represents intentional, conscious, or purposeful use of the sense of hearing. The difference is expressed in the following quotation: As the silence took hold in the darkness, Sam realized that she had been hearing, though not listening to, various low-level sounds—the hum of air conditioning and life support, the pulse of some faraway oxygen pump, the faint buzz of the electrical and lighting systems. —Justin Richards (1999) Demontage, chapter 5, page 92. A similar distinction exists between see and watch in English. ==== Quotations ==== For quotations using this term, see Citations:listen. ==== Synonyms ==== See also Thesaurus:listen ==== Coordinate terms ==== ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === Noun === listen (plural listens) An instance of listening. Synonym: (of recorded audio) play ==== Derived terms ==== ==== See also ==== === Anagrams === ELINTs, SILENT, Teslin, enlist, inlets, leints, lets in, silent, tinsel == Czech == === Etymology === From list + -en. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): [ˈlɪstɛn] === Noun === listen m inan (botany) bract ==== Declension ==== This noun needs an inflection-table template. === Further reading === “listen”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957 “listen”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989 “listen”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech), 2008–2026 == Danish == === Noun === listen c definite singular of liste definite singular of list == Dutch == === Pronunciation === === Noun === listen plural of list === Anagrams === instel, sintel, stel in == German == === Etymology === From Liste +‎ -en. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): [ˈlɪstn̩] Hyphenation: lis‧ten Homophone: Listen === Verb === listen (weak, third-person singular present listet, past tense listete, past participle gelistet, auxiliary haben) to list Synonym: auflisten ==== Conjugation ==== ==== Derived terms ==== auflisten ==== Related terms ==== Liste f === Further reading === “listen (eintragen, vorrätig haben)” in Duden online “listen (schmuggeln, tricksen)” in Duden online “listen”, in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache‎[3] (in German) “listen” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon “listen” in OpenThesaurus.de == Norwegian Bokmål == === Alternative forms === lista === Noun === listen m or f definite masculine singular of liste definite masculine singular of list == Spanish == === Verb === listen inflection of listar: third-person plural present subjunctive third-person plural imperative == Swedish == === Noun === listen definite singular of list === Anagrams === linets, litens, sliten, stilen