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听 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
听yǐnto listenHSK 1, v, 7 strokes, radical 口, rank #75, Easy
听yǐnsmile (archaic)HSK 1, v, 7 strokes, radical 口, rank #75, Easy
听yǐnto hearHSK 1, v, 7 strokes, radical 口, rank #75, Easy
听yǐnto obeyHSK 1, v, 7 strokes, radical 口, rank #75, Easy
听yǐna can (loanword from English "tin")HSK 1, v, 7 strokes, radical 口, rank #75, Easy
听yǐnclassifier for canned beveragesHSK 1, v, 7 strokes, radical 口, rank #75, Easy
听yǐn(literary pronunciation, still advocated in Taiwan) to ruleHSK 1, v, 7 strokes, radical 口, rank #75, Easy
听yǐnto sentenceHSK 1, v, 7 strokes, radical 口, rank #75, Easy
听yǐnto allowHSK 1, v, 7 strokes, radical 口, rank #75, Easy
听yǐnto hear, to listen; to understand; to obeyHSK 1, v, 7 strokes, radical 口, rank #75, Easy
听tīngto listenHSK 1, v, 7 strokes, radical 口, rank #75, Easy
听tīngsmile (archaic)HSK 1, v, 7 strokes, radical 口, rank #75, Easy
听tīngto hearHSK 1, v, 7 strokes, radical 口, rank #75, Easy
听tīngto obeyHSK 1, v, 7 strokes, radical 口, rank #75, Easy
听tīnga can (loanword from English "tin")HSK 1, v, 7 strokes, radical 口, rank #75, Easy
听tīngclassifier for canned beveragesHSK 1, v, 7 strokes, radical 口, rank #75, Easy
听tīng(literary pronunciation, still advocated in Taiwan) to ruleHSK 1, v, 7 strokes, radical 口, rank #75, Easy
听tīngto sentenceHSK 1, v, 7 strokes, radical 口, rank #75, Easy
听tīngto allowHSK 1, v, 7 strokes, radical 口, rank #75, Easy
听tīngto hear, to listen; to understand; to obeyHSK 1, v, 7 strokes, radical 口, rank #75, Easy
听tìngto listenHSK 1, v, 7 strokes, radical 口, rank #75, Easy
听tìngsmile (archaic)HSK 1, v, 7 strokes, radical 口, rank #75, Easy
听tìngto hearHSK 1, v, 7 strokes, radical 口, rank #75, Easy
听tìngto obeyHSK 1, v, 7 strokes, radical 口, rank #75, Easy
听tìnga can (loanword from English "tin")HSK 1, v, 7 strokes, radical 口, rank #75, Easy
听tìngclassifier for canned beveragesHSK 1, v, 7 strokes, radical 口, rank #75, Easy
听tìng(literary pronunciation, still advocated in Taiwan) to ruleHSK 1, v, 7 strokes, radical 口, rank #75, Easy
听tìngto sentenceHSK 1, v, 7 strokes, radical 口, rank #75, Easy
听tìngto allowHSK 1, v, 7 strokes, radical 口, rank #75, Easy
听tìngto hear, to listen; to understand; to obeyHSK 1, v, 7 strokes, radical 口, rank #75, Easy
tīng(ting1)
primary
 T1
  1. 1to listen
  2. 2smile (archaic)
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

听(聽)tīng(ting1)

The character 听 (tīng) primarily means 'to listen' or 'to hear.' It is commonly used in contexts related to paying attention to sound, such as listening to music or instructions. Additionally, it can imply obedience, as in following commands or advice.

Strokes7Radical口Frequency#75DifficultyEasy
Cultural Note

Listening holds a significant place in Chinese culture, often associated with respect and attentiveness during conversations. It reflects the value of harmony and understanding in social interactions.

Memory Tip

Imagine a person cupping their ear to listen closely to a whisper, symbolizing the act of listening (听). The character 听 combines the radical for 'ear' (耳) on the right, emphasizing hearing, with the phonetic component 'tīng.' Picture this person saying 'Ting!' to capture your attention.

Meanings of 听

tīng(ting1)
primary
1to listen
2smile (archaic)
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 听

听Simplified
聽Traditional
7Strokes
口Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#75Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L1HSK 3.0L1ElementaryTOCFLL1HSKKL1BCT✓CEFRA1

Podcast: 听

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Podcast: 听

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 听

Quick Contrast

听 (tīng) vs 聆 (líng) — use 听 for general listening, while 聆 is more formal and implies attentive listening.

Usage Notes

Be cautious with the tone; 听 is pronounced with a high level tone (tīng). A common mistake is to confuse it with the character '停' (tíng), which means 'to stop.' It is used in both formal and informal contexts, often paired with words like '音乐' (music) or '话' (speech).

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK Level 1 word, 听 connects well with other basic verbs like '说' (to speak) and '看' (to see). Focus on its pronunciation and usage in simple sentences, such as '我听音乐' (I listen to music).

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 听 with '听见' (tīngjiàn), which specifically means 'to hear something.' For example, saying '我听见音乐' (I listen to music) is incorrect; it should be '我听音乐.'

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 听

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Etymology of 听

Formation TypeIdeographic 指事
六书 ClassificationIdeograph (指事字)~2% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 口 represents the meaning and 厅 represents the sound. Simplified form of 聽. The right side looks like 斤 (axe) but is actually a corruption of 厅.

Memory Hint

Words 口 reaching an ear 斤

Learn more about Ideograph (指事字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 听

Phonosemantic compound. 口 represents the meaning and 厅 represents the sound. Simplified form of 聽. The right side looks like 斤 (axe) but is actually a corruption of 厅.

  1. 1The giveawayWords 口 reaching an ear 斤
  2. 2On the record asideographic — someone drew an idea rather than an object.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 听? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 听?

Decomposition of 听

IDS Structure⿰口斤
听Full Character
=
口kou3
left
斤jin1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 听?

How to say to listen in Chinese

“to listen” in Chinese is听yǐn

The character 听 (tīng) primarily means 'to listen' or 'to hear.' It is commonly used in contexts related to paying attention to sound, such as listening to music or instructions. Additionally, it can imply obedience, as in following commands or advice.

When to use 听

Be cautious with the tone; 听 is pronounced with a high level tone (tīng). A common mistake is to confuse it with the character '停' (tíng), which means 'to stop.' It is used in both formal and informal contexts, often paired with words like '音乐' (music) or '话' (speech).

听 or something close to it

听 (tīng) vs 聆 (líng) — use 听 for general listening, while 聆 is more formal and implies attentive listening.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 听 with '听见' (tīngjiàn), which specifically means 'to hear something.' For example, saying '我听见音乐' (I listen to music) is incorrect; it should be '我听音乐.'

Write 听

听

Practice writing 听 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 听

听 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 10 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Related grammar lessons6
Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

明天有____写，我该复习生词了。

There is a dictation test tomorrow, I should review vocabulary now.

Example Sentences for 听 (16)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
vto listen6
1
我喜欢在早上听音乐。

Wǒ xǐhuān zài zǎoshang tīng yīnyuè.

I like to listen to music in the morning.
2
请你仔细听老师的话。

Qǐng nǐ zǐxì tīng lǎoshī de huà.

Please listen carefully to the teacher.
3
她每天晚上听半小时的广播。

Tā měitiān wǎnshang tīng bàn xiǎoshí de guǎngbō.

She listens to the radio for half an hour every evening.
4
我们在公园里听鸟叫。

Wǒmen zài gōngyuán lǐ tīng niǎo jiào.

We listen to the birds in the park.
5
他喜欢听故事。

Tā xǐhuān tīng gùshì.

He likes to listen to stories.
6
你能听见我说话吗？

Nǐ néng tīngjiàn wǒ shuōhuà ma?

Can you hear me speaking?
vsmile (archaic)10
7
我不断听到隐约的鼓掌声。

wǒ bù duàn tīng dào yǐn yuē de gǔ zhǎng shēng。

I kept hearing the sound of applause in the background.
8
我只能听到火的毕剥声。

wǒ zhī néng tīng dào huǒ de bì bāo shēng。

All I could hear was the sputter of the fire.
9
我用短波收音机收听最新的战事新闻。

wǒ yòng duǎn bō shōu yīn jī shōu tīng zuì xīn de zhàn shì xīn wén。

I use the short-wave radio to get the latest war news.
10
黑暗中我的听觉变得异常灵敏。

hēi àn zhōng wǒ de tīng jué biàn dé yì cháng líng mǐn。

In the dark my sense of hearing becomes so acute.
11
还没看到他们，我便听到他们穿过矮树丛过来的声音。

huán méi kàn dào tā mén， ， wǒ biàn tīng dào tā mén chuān guò ǎi shù cóng guò lái de shēng。

I heard them coming, crashing through the undergrowth, before I saw them.
12
你必须仔细检查并多方核对你所听到的每一件事。

nǐ bì xū zī xì jiǎn chá bìng duō fāng hé duì nǐ suǒ tīng dào de měi yī jiàn shì。

You have to scrupulously check and cross-check everything you hear.
13
这几堵墙非常薄，你能够听到发生的一切。

zhè jī dǔ qiáng fēi cháng báo， ， nǐ néng gòu tīng dào fā shēng de yī。

The walls are paper thin; you can hear everything that goes on.
14
每晚你都会听见炼钢厂的下班哨声。

měi wǎn nǐ dū huì tīng jiàn liàn gāng chǎng de xià bān shào shēng。

Every night you could hear the whistles of the steel mill.
15
我拿起电话，就听到这个声音：“喂？是艾利森吗？”

wǒ ná qǐ diàn huà， ， jiù tīng dào zhè gè shēng：“ yīn？ ：“ wèi ？ shì ài？”

I answered the phone and this voice went, "Hello? Is that Alison?"
16
他们听见酒瓶摔碎的声音，然后是一阵更喧闹的笑声。

tā mén tīng jiàn jiǔ píng shuāi suì de shēng yīn， ， rán hòu shì yī zhèn gēng xuān nào de xiào。

They heard a bottle being smashed, then more raucous laughter.
Exercise 1 of 1

Reorder the Sentence

I like to listen to music in the morning.

Tap tokens to build the sentence

Word Family of 听

Words Containing This Character20
听tīngto listen聽
听到tīngdàoto hear聽到
听说tīngshuōhearsay聽說
听见tīngjiànto hear聽見
好听hǎotīngpleasant to hear好聽
听取tīngqǔto hear (news)聽取
听话tīnghuàobedient聽話
倾听qīngtīngto listen attentively傾聽
听证会(legislative) hearing聽證會
打听dǎtingto ask about打聽
收听shōutīngto listen to (a radio broadcast)收聽
听众tīngzhòngaudience聽眾
听力tīnglìhearing聽力
聆听to listen (respectfully)聆聽
听从tīngcóngto heed聽從
听起来to sound like聽起來
动听dòngtīngpleasant to listen to動聽
听觉sense of hearing聽覺
难听nántīngcoarse難聽
旁听to visit (a meeting, class, trial etc)旁聽
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 听 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 听

You can say '我听中文' (I listen to Chinese) to indicate you are listening to the language.

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