听

聽
tīng
HSK 1
#285 most
frequent character
to listen, to hear, to obey
verb

Character breakdown

Source: Make Me a Hanzi.

听 comes from a variant of 聽, which had 耳 ear and meant 'to listen.' The simplified form uses 口, added to tell it apart from 厅, and 斤, a later corruption of 厅. 斤 can still suggest the sound. The meaning also grew to 'to obey.'

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Example Sentences

我喜欢听音乐。
wǒ xǐhuān tīng yīnyuè 。
I like to listen to music.
请你听我说。
qǐng nǐ tīngwǒ shuō 。
Please listen to what I say.
他听到了一个声音。
tā tīngdào le yígè shēngyīn 。
He heard a sound.

Same Characters, Different Readings

听yǐn
smile (archaic)

Words with similar meanings

聆听língtīng
to listen attentively
More formal and indicates a deeper level of listening.
倾听qīngtīng
to listen closely
Emphasizes taking in information or emotions from someone.

Homophones

厅tīng
office, hall

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Public Lists with 听

Basic Verbs
Core action verbs like 'go,' 'come,' 'eat,' 'see,' commonly encountered in HSK.
HSK 1
All words for the HSK 1 test
Communication
Talking, calling, emails, letters, expressions for clarity and tone.
Music & Instruments
Genres of music, playing instruments, performances, and terms.