How do you say "listen" in French?

écouter

Verb Noun

In French, "listen" is écouter.

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Pronunciation

Say ay-koo-TAY, with stress on the final syllable and a rounded oo vowel.

Grammar notes

écouter is a verb used the same way as its English equivalent.

Example sentence

J’écoute de la musique pendant que je travaille.

I listen to music while I work.

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How to remember écouter

Écouter gives English the word 'acoustic', since listening is all about sound reaching your ears.

Related words

Browse all French words in the glossary.

Questions about écouter

How do you pronounce écouter?

Say ay-koo-TAY, with stress on the final syllable and a rounded oo vowel.

Is écouter formal or casual?

écouter is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech.

How is écouter used in French?

écouter is used the same way as the equivalent English verb. For example: J’écoute de la musique pendant que je travaille. (I listen to music while I work.).

Where can I practice French words for free?

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"Listen" in other languages

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