kuunnella

Kuunnella is a Finnish verb meaning to listen, i.e., to give attention to sounds, voices, or music rather than merely hearing. It is used to describe the act of actively listening to something or someone. The noun kuuntelu refers to the act of listening, and kuuntelija denotes a listener.

Usage and meaning

Kuunnella typically takes an object in the partitive case when specifying what is being listened to, for example radiota (to the radio) or musiikkia (to music). It can also appear with clauses describing listening to someone’s words or a recording. The verb is used in everyday speech as well as in media and education to describe the act of listening attentively. It often contrasts with kuulla, which means to hear, in the sense that kuunnella implies active engagement.

Conjugation and forms

Kuunnella belongs to the regular Finnish verb classes and follows standard present and past tense patterns. In present tense the forms include minä kuuntelen, sinä kuuntelet, hän kuuntelee, me kuuntelemme, te kuuntelette, he kuuntelevat. The past tense forms include kuuntelin, kuuntelit, kuunteli, kuuntelimme, kuuntelette, kuuntelivat. The perfect participle is kuunnellut. The imperative forms are kuuntele (singular) and kuunnelkaa (plural).

Examples

Examples of usage include: “Kuuntelen radiota joka aamu.” (I listen to the radio every morning.) “Kuuntele musiikkia.” (Listen to the music.) “Hän kuuntelee tarkasti.” (He listens carefully.) These illustrate the active listening sense and the common object cases used with the verb.

Related terms

Derivatives include kuuntelu (the act of listening) and kuuntelija (a listener). The verb is a standard part of Finnish vocabulary for discussions of audio, communication, and attention.