The Present Tense of Escuchar is used to describe actions happening at the present moment. For example, Escucho música mientras trabajo. (I listen to music while I work.)

Escuchar is a regular -ar verb, which means its conjugations in the present tense follow the typical pattern for this verb type.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Escuchar (to listen) in the Present Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):

Escuchar generally means to listen or to hear, but has several different meanings in the Present Tense, some of which might surprise you.

To listen: This is the most common meaning, referring to the act of paying attention to sounds or speech. For example, Yo escucho música mientras trabajo (I listen to music while I work).

To obey: In some contexts, escuchar can mean to obey or follow instructions. For example, Los niños no escuchan a sus padres (The children do not obey their parents).

To pay attention: Escuchar can also mean to pay attention or to heed advice or warnings. For example, Ella no me escucha cuando le digo que tenga cuidado (She doesn’t pay attention when I tell her to be careful).

To listen in (colloquial): In informal contexts, escuchar can mean to eavesdrop or listen in on a conversation. For example, ¿Estás escuchando nuestra conversación? (Are you listening in on our conversation?)

To take into account: In some situations, escuchar can mean to take into account or consider someone’s opinion or perspective. For example, El gobierno no escucha las preocupaciones de los ciudadanos (The government does not take into account the concerns of the citizens).

Examples

Examples of Escuchar in the Present Tense

Siempre escucho música mientras trabajo. (I always listen to music while I work.)

¿Escuchas ese ruido? Creo que viene de afuera. (Do you hear that noise? I think it’s coming from outside.)

Mi hermana escucha podcasts educativos durante su viaje al trabajo. (My sister listens to educational podcasts during her commute to work.)

Escuchamos las noticias todas las mañanas para mantenernos informados. (We listen to the news every morning to stay informed.)

Los vecinos escuchan música a todo volumen, ¡es molesto! (The neighbors listen to music at full volume, it’s annoying!)

En la clase de idiomas, escuchamos grabaciones para practicar nuestra comprensión auditiva. (In the language class, we listen to recordings to practice our listening comprehension.)

Cuando estoy estresado, escucho música relajante para calmarme. (When I’m stressed, I listen to relaxing music to calm down.)

Los niños escuchan atentamente mientras su maestra lee un cuento. (The children listen attentively while their teacher reads a story.)

En la reunión, todos escuchan con atención las ideas de sus colegas. (In the meeting, everyone listens attentively to their colleagues’ ideas.)

¿Escuchas esa canción pegadiza? ¡No puedo sacarla de mi cabeza! (Do you hear that catchy song? I can’t get it out of my head!)

Mis amigos y yo escuchamos un podcast de comedia mientras conducimos. (My friends and I listen to a comedy podcast while driving.)

En la iglesia, los feligreses escuchan atentamente el sermón del sacerdote. (In church, the parishioners listen attentively to the priest’s sermon.)

Cuando estoy cocinando, escucho música alegre para ponerme de buen humor. (When I’m cooking, I listen to upbeat music to put me in a good mood.)

Los estudiantes escuchan con atención las instrucciones del profesor antes de comenzar el examen. (The students listen carefully to the teacher’s instructions before starting the exam.)

En la terapia, escucho con empatía las preocupaciones de mis pacientes. (In therapy, I listen empathetically to my patients’ concerns.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Escuchar (to listen) in the Present Tense tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Latin American Spanish. For Castilian Spanish, click here

Synonyms

The Present tense is also known as the Simple Present, Present Simple, Present Tense, or Present Indicative in English, and as Presente de Indicativo, Presente Simple, Tiempo Presente, or Indicativo Presente in Spanish.