Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'hear'

English Word: hear

Key Russian Translations:

• слышать [ˈslɨʂatʲ] - [Informal, Everyday use]
• услышать [ʊˈslɨʂatʲ] - [Formal, Perfective aspect, Used for sudden or completed hearing]

Frequency: High (Common in daily conversations, media, and literature)

Difficulty: A2 (Elementary level; basic for beginners, but mastering inflections requires practice)

Pronunciation (Russian):

слышать: [ˈslɨʂatʲ]

услышать: [ʊˈslɨʂatʲ]

Note on слышать: The 'ш' sound is similar to the 'sh' in English "she", but softer; stress is on the first syllable. For услышать, the prefix 'у-' adds a subtle emphasis on completion.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Primary meaning: To perceive sound with the ear (general auditory perception).

Translation(s) & Context:

• слышать - Used in ongoing or habitual contexts, such as everyday listening to sounds or noises.
• услышать - Applied in situations involving sudden realization or completion, like hearing something unexpected.

Usage Examples:

• Я слышу шум дождя за окном. (Ya slyshu shym dozhdya za oknom.)

  I hear the noise of the rain outside the window. (Demonstrates habitual hearing in a descriptive context.)

• Дети слышат музыку и начинают танцевать. (Deti slyshut muzyku i nachinayut tantsevat'.)

  The children hear the music and start dancing. (Shows hearing leading to action in a social setting.)

• Он услышал крик помощи и побежал на звук. (On uslyshal krik pomoshchi i pobezhal na zvuk.)

  He heard a cry for help and ran towards the sound. (Illustrates sudden hearing with perfective aspect.)

• Мы не слышим друг друга в шумной комнате. (My ne slyshim drug druga v shumnoi komnate.)

  We don't hear each other in the noisy room. (Highlights challenges in auditory perception.)

• Она услышала своё имя по радио. (Ona uslyshala svoe imya po radio.)

  She heard her name on the radio. (Emphasizes unexpected or media-related hearing.)

Secondary meaning: To receive information through hearing (e.g., in legal or formal contexts).

Translation(s) & Context:

• слышать - In formal settings, like courtrooms, meaning to listen to testimony.
• услышать - For comprehending information suddenly, such as in news or announcements.

Usage Examples:

• Судья слышит показания свидетеля. (Sud'ya slyshit pokazaniya svidetelya.)

  The judge hears the witness's testimony. (Formal context in a legal scenario.)

• Я услышал новости о концерте по телефону. (Ya uslyshal novosti o koncerte po telefonu.)

  I heard the news about the concert over the phone. (Informal receipt of information.)

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both translations are verbs. "Слышать" is an imperfective verb, while "услышать" is its perfective counterpart. Russian verbs inflect based on tense, aspect, person, number, and gender. Below is a table for key inflections:

Note: These verbs follow regular conjugation patterns for most forms, but pay attention to stem changes in past tense based on gender and number.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms: услышать (for perfective), прослушать (to listen through, more auditory focus)
• Antonyms: не слышать (not to hear), оглохнуть (to go deaf, literal antonym in extreme cases)

Synonyms like "прослушать" imply more active listening, differing subtly from passive hearing.

Related Phrases:

• Слышать голос - To hear a voice; often used in emotional or mysterious contexts, e.g., in literature.
• Услышать в шуме - To hear amidst noise; refers to distinguishing sounds in chaotic environments.
• Не слышать друг друга - Not to hear each other; common in phrases about miscommunication or distance.

Usage Notes:

In Russian, "hear" corresponds closely to "слышать" for ongoing actions and "услышать" for completed ones, mirroring English aspect differences. Choose "слышать" for habitual or descriptive scenarios and "услышать" for events with a clear endpoint. Be mindful of formal contexts where perfective forms are preferred. Grammatically, these verbs require agreement with subject in person and number, and they can take direct objects (e.g., "слышать звук" - to hear a sound).

• Avoid using "слышать" in legal contexts where "выслушать" (to listen carefully) might be more appropriate.
• In informal speech, these words are versatile but can vary by region; standard Russian uses are as above.

Common Errors:

English learners often confuse "слышать" (to hear passively) with "слушать" (to listen actively). For example:

• Error: Using "слушать" when meaning "hear" in a passive sense, e.g., "Я слушаю птиц" instead of "Я слышу птиц".
• Correct: "Я слышу птиц" (I hear the birds) – focuses on perception without intent. Explanation: "Слушать" implies attention, so it's incorrect for unintentional hearing.
• Another error: Neglecting aspect, e.g., saying "Я слышал это" for a future event. Correct: Use perfective for completed actions.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, hearing plays a significant role in folklore and literature, such as in tales where characters "hear" whispers of the supernatural (e.g., in stories by Pushkin). This reflects a broader emphasis on oral traditions and the mystical aspects of sound in Slavic heritage, making words like "слышать" not just literal but evocative of deeper, intuitive perceptions.

Related Concepts:

• звуки (sounds)
• шум (noise)
• голос (voice)