Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| oído | /oˈido/ | masculine |
| audición | /audiˈθjon/ /audiˈsjon/ |
feminine |
The term refers to the sense of hearing. In common daily life, oído is used to describe the physical ability to perceive sound, such as having good or bad hearing. It is also used idiomatically to describe musical ability, such as having a good ear for music. The form audición refers to the physiological faculty of hearing and is used when discussing the sense in a more technical or medical way.
Which one should you use?
oído is the common way to refer to the physical sense or the ability to perceive sound. In contrast, audición is used when referring to the physiological faculty or when speaking in a formal or medical context.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
oído is a masculine noun, while audición is a feminine noun. The related adjective oyente is used to describe someone who is able to hear.
How do you pronounce it?
/oˈido/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use oído to mean a legal 'hearing'. For a court hearing, use audiencia instead.
When do people say it?
The word oído is often used in idioms regarding musical talent, such as the phrase tener buen oído, which means to have a good ear or good hearing for music.
Did you know?
- While oído refers to the sense of hearing, it is also the common word for the physical 'ear' canal. To refer to the entire outer ear, Spanish speakers use the word oreja.
- In Spanish, oído is used in the phrase hacer oídos sordos, which means to turn a deaf ear or ignore something intentionally.
- The word audición serves a double purpose in Spanish, referring to both the physiological sense of hearing and a performer's 'audition'.
Examples in context
- Tom tiene buen oído.Tom has good hearing.This example shows the use of oído to describe someone's hearing quality.Tatoeba #1718212 by marcelostockle, translation #1025383 by CK
- ¿Cómo es tu audición?How is your hearing?This example demonstrates the use of audición to ask about a person's sense of hearing.Tatoeba #10111064 by manufrutos, translation #9850990 by NurseMeeks
- El niño tiene un oído agudo.The kid has a keen sense of hearing.This example illustrates how oído can describe a keen sense of hearing.Tatoeba #1769167 by marcelostockle, translation #47543 by CK
- No pude oír bien lo que dijiste en la conferencia.I couldn't hear what you said in the conference.
- ¿Pudiste pillar lo que pasó en el programa de televisión ayer?Could you catch what happened on the TV show yesterday?
- ¡Escuchá bien lo que te digo!Listen carefully to what I'm telling you!
- 17 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and María are talking about a musician friend.
- DanielÉl tiene un oído increíble para la música.He has an incredible ear for music.
- MaríaEs cierto, su oído es muy especial.It's true, his hearing is very special.
- Daniel¿Crees que pueda ser un profesional?Do you think he could be a professional?
- MaríaCon ese oído, tiene muchas posibilidades.With that hearing, he has many possibilities.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hearing” translations and entries oído, audición, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
