Hello, galera! What have you heard about Brazil? Today we are going to study the difference between ouvir and escutar in Portuguese. Let’s go!
Difference Between Ouvir and Escutar
The difference between these verbs is simple, basically we use ouvir (to hear) when we perceive sounds and escutar (to listen) when we have to focus, to pay attention.
Ouvir in Portuguese
Ouvir (to hear) is an irregular verb that is used to mean the skill of capturing sounds by the ears. Let’s see some examples using this verb:
Eu ouvi você falando com eles mais cedo.
I heard you talking to them earlier.
Você pode repetir a frase? Eu não ouvi.
Can you repeat the sentence? I didn’t hear.
É normal ouvir muito barulho na rua
It’s normal hearing a lot of noise on the street.
You can see more of this verb in our Dica do Dia where you learn how to conjugate ouvir in Portuguese.
We also use the verb ouvir as the expression ouvir dizer. This expression is used to talk about something that someone told you or an information that you found out. Let’s see:
Você ouviu dizer sobre a RioLIVE! da Pedra do Sal hoje?
Have you heard about the RioLIVE! at Pedra do Sal today?
Ela ouviu dizer que hoje vai chover. É verdade?
She heard that today is going to rain. Is it true?
Eu ouvi dizer que o Rio de Janeiro tem praias lindas.
I‘ve heard that Rio de Janeiro has beautiful beaches.
Escutar in Portuguese
Escutar (to listen) is a regular verb that is used when we have to focus, to pay attention and to talk about music, audios or voice messages. Take a look at the following examples:
Eles escutam samba todos os dias.
They listen to samba everyday.
Estou no trabalho, não posso escutar suas mensagens de voz.
I am at work, I can’t listen your voice messages.
Você já escutou o novo álbum do Chico Buarque?
Have you listened the new Chico Buarque’s album yet?
Just like ouvir, we also use escutar with expressions. We use it when we want to start a conversation or a topic. Check this out:
Carlos: Bom dia Pedro, tudo bem?
Pedro: Oi! Tudo bem sim!
Carlos: Escuta! Você quer assistir o jogo na quinta?
Pedro: Claro que sim! Que horas?
Carlos: Às 19:00.
Pedro: Ok. Nos vemos na sexta então.
Carlos: Beleza. Até lá!
Carlos: Good morning Pedro, are you ok?
Pedro: Hi! I am fine!
Carlos: Listen! Do you want to watch the match on Thursday?
Pedro: Of course! What time?
Carlos: At 7:00 pm.
Pedro: Ok. See you on Friday then..
Carlos: Great. See you!
Now we know the difference between ouvir and escutar in Portuguese. Practice them hearing the sounds around and listening to people or Brazilian music. Subscribe at A Dica do Dia for more Portuguese language information.
See you guys!
Hugs from Rio & Learn!
Click on the links below to see more related Dicas
Conjugate ouvir in Portuguese
Present AR verbs in Portuguese
Verbs ending in AR in the past
Verbs ending in IR in Portuguese
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