ENGLISH
REFERENCE

listen

v.
A1 Beginner Oxford US //ˈɫɪsən// UK //lˈɪsən// lis·ten General-service

v. to pay attention to a sound that you can hear. You do this when you want to understand what someone is saying or enjoy music.

v. to give attention to sound; to make a conscious effort to hear something. Intransitive in its primary sense.


SIMPLE

Please listen to the teacher.

CONTEXTUAL

I like to listen to the radio while I cook dinner in the evening.

COMPLEX

To be an effective negotiator, one must listen more than one speaks, paying close attention to the subtle emotional cues hidden within the other person's words.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English listenen, listnen, alteration (due to Middle English listen (“to listen, give heed to”)) of Old English hlysnan (“to listen”), from Proto-Germanic hlusnijaną, hlusnōną (compare Middle High German lüsenen), from Proto-Germanic hlusēną (compare Old High German hlosēn), from Proto-Indo-European ḱlew- (“to hear”). Cognate with Swedish lyssna (“to listen”). Compare Ancient Greek κλαίω (klaíō, “to make known, famous”), Welsh clywed (“to hear”), Latin clueō (“to be famous”), Lithuanian klausýti, Old Church Slavonic слушати (slušati, “to hear”), Sanskrit श्रोषति (śróṣati, “an exclamation used in making an offering with fire to the gods or departed spirits”) & Sanskrit श्लोक्य (ślókya, “voice, sound, noisy”)). Related to loud and German lauschen.

Usage

The verb is intransitive and requires the preposition 'to' before a direct object.

Pitfall

I listen the musicI listen to the musicListen is an intransitive verb and cannot take a direct object without the preposition 'to'.

Idioms1 entry

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