Kuulen

Kuulen is a Finnish verb meaning “to hear.” It denotes the perception of sound and can also be used figuratively to express understanding or awareness, as in “I hear what you are saying.” The verb is used for everyday perception of sounds as well as for more abstract meanings like recognizing information.

Form and usage: The present tense stem is kuule-. The first-person singular present is minä kuulen (I hear). Other present forms are sinä kuulet, hän kuulee, me kuulemme, te kuulette, he kuulevat. The negative present is en kuule, et kuule, ei kuule, emme kuule, ette kuule, eivät kuule. The simple past tense is kuulin, kuulit, kuuli, kuulimme, kuulitte, kuulivat. The past participle is kuullut, used with the auxiliary olla to form perfect tenses (esimerkiksi olen kuullut = I have heard). Finnish also distinguishes between kuulla (to hear) and kuunnella (to listen attentively).

Origins and cognates: Kuulla comes from the Finnic root kuul-, shared with related languages. A central cognate is Estonian kuulen, which also means “I hear.” The form reflects common Finnic verb patterns, with regular inflection and vowel harmony overall.

Usage notes: For active listening or paying sustained attention, Finnish tends to use kuunnella rather than kuulla. Kuulla focuses on the sense of hearing or perceiving sounds, while kuunnella emphasizes listening as an intentional act. Common examples include: “Minä kuulen linnunlaulun” (I hear the birdsong) and “Olen kuullut sen jo aiemmin” (I have heard that before).