The German verb hören means “to hear” or “to listen.” It is a regular (weak) verb that follows standard German conjugation patterns but appears in multiple contexts—from simply perceiving sound to attentively listening.
- Verb type: regular (-en)
- Stem: hör-
- Meaning: to hear, to listen
- Usage: can be reflexive (sich hören), combined with prepositions, or used in idiomatic expressions
Meanings and Usage
Hören can function in several ways:
- To hear: Perceive sounds without deliberate effort.
Ich höre Musik.* — I hear music.
- To listen: Sometimes used when paying attention, especially in fixed phrases.
Hör zu!* — Listen up!
- Reflexive form (sich hören): Used to describe how something sounds.
Das hört sich gut an.* — That sounds good.
- With prepositions:
- hören auf + Akk.* — to listen to (someone’s advice or command)
- hören von + Dat.* — to hear from (someone)
How is hören used in the sentence "Ich höre Musik."?
to hear
In this sentence, **hören** means “to hear,” indicating the perception of music.
Conjugation
Present Tense (Präsens)
| German Subject | German Verb | English Subject | English Verb | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ich | höre | I | hear | Ich höre Musik. | I hear music. |
| du | hörst | you (sing.) | hear | Hörst du mich? | Do you hear me? |
| er/sie/es | hört | he/she/it | hears | Er hört das Radio. | He hears the radio. |
| wir | hören | we | hear | Wir hören zusammen. | We listen together. |
| ihr | hört | you (pl.) | hear | Hört ihr zu? | Are you listening? |
| sie/Sie | hören | they/you (formal) | hear | Sie hören gut. | They hear well. |
Simple Past (Präteritum)
| German Subject | German Verb | English Subject | English Verb | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ich | hörte | I | heard | Ich hörte Musik. | I heard music. |
| du | hörtest | you (sing.) | heard | Hörtest du das? | Did you hear that? |
| er/sie/es | hörte | he/she/it | heard | Sie hörte die Nachrichten. | She heard the news. |
| wir | hörten | we | heard | Wir hörten ein Lied. | We heard a song. |
| ihr | hörtet | you (pl.) | heard | Hörtet ihr zu? | Did you listen? |
| sie/Sie | hörten | they/you (formal) | heard | Sie hörten aufmerksam. | They listened attentively. |
Past Participle and Perfect
- Participle: gehört
- Auxiliary: haben
- Example: Ich habe Musik gehört. — I have heard/listened to music.
Subjunctive II (Konjunktiv II) for Hypotheticals
| German Subject | German Verb | English Subject | English Verb | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ich | hörte | I | would hear | Ich hörte das Lied gern. | I would like to hear the song. |
| du | hörtest | you (sing.) | would hear | Hörtest du besser? | Would you hear better? |
| er/sie/es | hörte | he/she/it | would hear | Er hörte zu, wenn er Zeit hätte. | He would listen if he had time. |
Examples in Modal Context: können + hören
| German Subject | German Verb | English Subject | English Verb | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ich | kann hören | I can hear | I can hear | Ich kann dich hören. | I can hear you. |
| du | kannst hören | you can hear | you can hear | Kannst du mich hören? | Can you hear me? |
| wir | können hören | we can hear | we can hear | Wir können alles hören. | We can hear everything. |
Examples in Future Tense: werden + hören (Infinitive)
| German Subject | German Verb | English Subject | English Verb | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ich | werde hören | I will hear | I will hear | Ich werde die Nachrichten hören. | I will hear the news. |
| du | wirst hören | you will hear | you will hear | Wirst du das hören? | Will you hear that? |
| wir | werden hören | we will hear | we will hear | Wir werden das Gespräch hören. | We will hear the conversation. |
Common Phrases and Idioms
- Hör auf! — Stop it! / Cut it out! (literally: “Hear up!”)
- Ich kann nicht hören. — I can’t hear.
- Hört sich gut an. — That sounds good.
- Von jemandem hören — to hear from someone
- Auf jemanden hören — to listen to someone (e.g., advice)
- Jemanden nicht hören können — can’t stand someone
How do you say “I can’t hear” in German?
Ich kann nicht hören.
The correct phrase is **Ich kann nicht hören.** using modal verb **kann** plus infinitive.
Summary
- hören = “to hear” or “to listen” (context-dependent)
- Regular verb with standard endings (hör- stem)
- Reflexive form sich hören = “to sound”
- Used with prepositions: hören auf (listen to), hören von (hear from)
- Common in everyday conversation and German idioms
How is the reflexive form sich hören used?
to describe how something sounds
**sich hören** is used to say how something sounds (e.g., **Das hört sich gut an**).
Flashcards (1 of 21)
- English Subject: I
- English Verb: hear
- English Example: I hear music.
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
