Traditional: 聽
tīng HSK 1

English Meaning

📚 Example Sentences

我听你。
Wǒ tīng nǐ.
I listen to you.
他听音乐。
Tā tīng yīnyuè.
He listens to music.
你听我。
Nǐ tīng wǒ.
You listen to me.
我每天都听音乐。
Wǒ měitiān dōu tīng yīnyuè.
I listen to music every day.
她听到窗外有鸟叫声。
Tā tīng dào chuāng wài yǒu niǎo jiào shēng.
She hears a bird outside her window.

💡 Memory Tip

The character 听 combines '口' (mouth) and '斤' (axe), but think of it as 'using your ears'—imagine an axe chopping a log making a sound you must 'listen' to.

📝 Usage Notes

Used in both formal and informal contexts, in spoken and written Chinese. Common in everyday conversations about hearing sounds, listening to music (听音乐), or following advice (听劝).

📖 Grammar Points

Often used with objects (听 + something) or as a verb complement (e.g., 听得见/听不见 for ability). Can form resultative compounds like 听懂 (understand by listening).

🏯 Cultural Notes

In Chinese culture, '听' in phrases like '听话' implies obedience or being well-behaved, especially for children, reflecting values of respect for authority.

🔄 Similar Words

闻 (wén) also means 'to hear' but is more literary or used for smelling; 听见 (tīngjiàn) specifically means 'to hear' (perceive sound), while 听 can be more general like 'to listen to'.

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