सुनना
sunnā/sʊn.nɑː/
To listen in Hindi is सुनना (sunnā).
सुनना is the verb used to mean paying attention to a sound. While it can mean both 'to listen' and 'to hear', it is the primary verb used for the act of paying attention to a sound.
Meaning: to pay attention to a sound (verb)
How does it change in a sentence?
In the present tense, the form changes based on the gender of the speaker: a masculine speaker would say सुनता हूँ (sunatā hū̃) for 'I listen', while a feminine speaker would say सुनती हूँ (sunatī hū̃). The simple past tense form is सुना (sunā), meaning 'heard'.
How do you pronounce it?
sunnā (sʊn.nɑː)
Did you know?
- The word सुनना (sunnā) is a distant relative of the Irish word 'cluin' meaning 'to hear'. Both languages share an ancient root from Proto-Indo-European.
- While सुनना means 'to listen', it is often used in Hindi to mean 'to obey' when someone says मेरी बात सुनो (merī bāt suno), meaning 'listen to my words'.
- In Hindi, there is a distinct causative form सुनाना (sunānā) which means 'to make someone listen' or 'to tell a story'. This transforms the act of listening into an act of storytelling.
Example sentences for Hindi are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Rahul and Anjali are sitting in a park.
- राहुल Rahulअंजलि, क्या तुम कुछ सुन रही हो?Anjali, kya tum kuch sun rahi ho?Anjali, are you listening to something?
- अंजलि Anjaliहाँ, मैं पक्षियों की आवाज़ सुन रही हूँ।Haan, main pakshiyon ki aawaz sun rahi hoon.Yes, I am listening to the sound of birds.
- राहुल Rahulवह बहुत सुरीला है।Vah bahut surila hai.It is very melodious.
- अंजलि Anjaliराहुल, तुम्हें भी सुनना चाहिए।Rahul, tumhe bhi sunna chahiye.Rahul, you should listen too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “listen” translations and entries सुनना, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries सुनना, CC BY-SA 4.0.
