Hören

Hören is a German verb meaning to hear, and more broadly to listen. It covers both the perception of sound by the ear and the act of listening, depending on context. For example: Ich höre Musik can mean I am listening to music or I hear music; Ich höre einen Vogel singen means I hear a bird singing. The verb zuhören means to listen to someone or something with attention (Ich höre dir zu).

Conjugation in the present tense is: ich höre, du hörst, er hört, wir hören, ihr hört, Sie hören. Präteritum (simple past) is hörte. Perfect is gebildet mit haben gehört (ich habe gehört). Subjunctive II forms include hörte. Imperative forms are Hör! (informal singular), Hört! (informal plural), Hören Sie! (formal).

Nouns and related forms: Das Hören refers to the act or ability of hearing. Das Gehör denotes the sense of hearing or the ear. Hörer is a listener. Der Hörersche Unterschied? Compounds and related terms include das Hörspiel (radio play) and abhören (to listen in, to eavesdrop, or to lip-read in some contexts; also to audit or inspect in other senses).

Usage notes: In German, hören does not always imply intentional listening; durch Zuhören (zuhören) indicates active attention. The verb can take direct objects (Ich höre Musik) or describe auditory perception of sounds (Ich höre Geräusche). Distinction from English often rests on nuance between merely hearing and deliberately listening.