kuunnella
/ˈkuːnːelːɑˣ/
To listen in Finnish is kuunnella.
The verb kuunnella means to pay attention to a sound.
Meaning: to pay attention to a sound (verb)
How does it change in a sentence?
The first-person singular present form is kuuntelen (I listen / I am listening). The third-person plural past tense form is kuuntelivat (they listened / they listen). The conditional form kuuntelisin is used to express a hypothetical or polite way of saying one would listen. The passive form kuunnellaan can be used to express a general 'one listens' or to suggest 'let's listen' in a communal sense.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈkuːnːelːɑˣ/
Did you know?
- The verb kuunnella is an evolutionary descendant of a word meaning 'to hunt' or 'to catch'.
- The word kuunnella is a frequentative verb, meaning it describes an action that is repeated or continued over time.
- In many Uralic languages, the concept of listening is linguistically tied to the idea of obeying or complying with a command.
Examples in context
- Sinun on parasta kuunnella.You'd better listen.This sentence uses kuunnella to advise someone to listen.Tatoeba #3377003 by Silja, translation #3374736 by CK
- En siedä kuunnella ääliöitä.I can't listen to stupid people.This sentence uses kuunnella to describe a refusal to listen to certain people.Tatoeba #4775467 by Sanaseppo, translation #4772256 by Ishao
- Mikset halua kuunnella minua?Why won't you listen to me?This sentence uses kuunnella to ask why someone will not listen to the speaker.Tatoeba #2754667 by Kalle63, translation #2006554 by Spamster
- Kuuntele tarkasti, mitä sanon.Listen carefully to what I'm saying.
- Ole hyvä ja kuule toiveemme.Please, listen to our request.
- Kuunteleppa, mitä mulla on sanottavaa.Listen to what I have to say.
- Kuule, sulla on unohtunut avaimet.Listen, you forgot your keys.
- 25 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Juho and Anna are in a park.
- JuhoAnna, kuunnellaanko tuo lintu?Anna, shall we listen to that bird?
- AnnaKyllä, se kuulostaa kauniilta.Yes, it sounds beautiful.
- JuhoHaluan kuunnella sitä hetken.I want to listen to it for a moment.
- AnnaMinäkin kuuntelen nyt.I am listening now too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “listen” translations and entries kuunnella, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries kuunnella, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
