слу́шать
slúšatʹimperfective
To listen in Russian is to say слу́шать (slúšatʹ). Wiktionary also lists послу́шать (poslúšatʹ).
Meaning: to pay attention to a sound (verb)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| слу́шать | slúšatʹ | imperfective |
| послу́шать | poslúšatʹ | perfective |
The verb is used to describe the act of paying attention to a sound.
Which one should you use?
The imperfective form слу́шать is used to describe the ongoing process of listening or for habitual actions. In contrast, the perfective form послу́шать is used when you want to listen to something for a specific, limited duration or to perform the action once.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb слу́шать is transitive and takes the accusative case directly. For example, to say 'Listen to me', you use Слушайте меня.
How do you pronounce it?
slúšatʹ
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using a preposition like 'к' (to) after слу́шать. The object should follow the verb directly in the accusative case.
Did you know?
- In Russian, the word for 'to listen' can be used to mean 'to obey'. If a parent says слу́шайся меня, they are not just asking for your attention, they are telling you to obey them.
- When answering a telephone in a professional setting, a Russian speaker might say слу́шаю to signal 'I am listening' or 'Yes, I am here'.
- The word слу́шатель (listener) is commonly used to describe a student of a non-degree course or an auditing student at a university.
Examples in context
- Пожалуйста, слушайте внимательно.Please listen carefully.
- Мы должны слушать своих старших.We should listen to our elders.
- Я люблю слу́шать классическую музыку.Ya lyublyu slushat' klassicheskuyu muzyku.I love listening to classical music.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “listen” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
