słuchać
/ˈswu.xat͡ɕ/imperfective
To listen in Polish is słuchać.
The verb słuchać is used to express the act of paying attention to a sound.
Meaning: to pay attention to a sound (verb)
How does it change in a sentence?
słuchać is an imperfective verb. The first-person singular present tense is słucham (I listen / I am listening). The imperative or command form for the second-person singular is słuchaj. Importantly, słuchać takes the Genitive case for its object, which differs from many other Polish verbs that take the Accusative.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ˈswu.xatɕ/. It has two syllables and the stress is on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- In Polish, słuchać can mean both 'to listen' and 'to obey'. If a parent says a child does not słuchać, they usually mean the child is being disobedient rather than hard of hearing.
- In certain Polish contexts, saying słucham? is not just asking 'what?' but is a polite, formal way to say 'Yes, I am listening' or 'Pardon?' when you did not hear someone.
- The word słuchawki for 'headphones' is derived directly from słuchać, literally translating to 'the things used for listening'.
Examples in context
- Moja córka nie chce mnie słuchać.My daughter won't listen to me.This sentence is useful for showing how to say my daughter won't listen to me using słuchać.Tatoeba #5183869 by Katubeltza, translation #1857528 by Spamster
- Mądry przywódca wie, kiedy słuchać.A wise leader knows when to listen.This sentence is useful for showing how to say a wise leader knows when to listen using słuchać.Tatoeba #4949859 by aleksandraeska, translation #4949478 by CK
- Tom nie chce słuchać głosu rozsądku.Tom won't listen to reason.This sentence is useful for showing how to say Tom won't listen to reason using słuchać.Tatoeba #4887008 by BeataB, translation #2281731 by CK
- Proszę usiąść i posłuchać, ponieważ mam ważne wiadomości do przekazaniaPlease sit down and listen, as I have important information to convey
- Zwróć uwagę na te szczegółyPay attention to these details
- Słuchaj, mam świetny pomysł na naszą podróżListen, I have a great idea for our trip
- No dawaj, słuchaj, ten koncert będzie niesamowityCome on, listen, this concert is going to be amazing
- 14 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Paweł and Agnieszka are in a room with music playing.
- PawełLubisz słuchać tej muzyki?Do you like listening to this music?
- AgnieszkaTak, bardzo mi się podoba.Yes, I like it very much.
- PawełChodź, będziemy słuchać razem.Come, we will listen together.
- AgnieszkaDobrze, Paweł, chodźmy.Okay, Paweł, let's go.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “listen” translations and entries słuchać, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
