Entendre vs écouter in French: hear or listen?

Entendre means to hear: the sound reaches you, whether you planned it or not. Écouter means to listen: you pay attention on purpose. If you hear a noise, say j’entends un bruit. If you listen to music, say j’écoute de la musique. The English difference between “hear” and “listen” is the best first shortcut.

WordTranscriptionTranslationExample
écouter/ekute/listenJ'écoute de la musique chaque soir.I listen to music every evening.
entendre/ɑ̃tɑ̃dʁ/hear / understand by earJ'entends un bruit.
un bruit/œ̃ bʁɥi/a noiseJ'entends un bruit dehors.

Entendre: sound reaches you

Use entendre when the important fact is perception: you can hear, cannot hear, heard a noise, or heard someone say something.

Je t’entends mal. Tu peux répéter ?
I can’t hear you well. Can you repeat?

J’ai entendu un bruit dans la rue.
I heard a noise in the street.

Entendre parler de means “to hear about”.

J’ai entendu parler de ce restaurant.
I heard about this restaurant.

Écouter: attention is intentional

Use écouter when someone actively listens, follows, or pays attention.

J’écoute un podcast en français.
I am listening to a podcast in French.

Écoute-moi, s’il te plaît.
Listen to me, please.

This is also the verb for listening to music, the radio, a teacher, instructions, or a person who is speaking.

The quick test

Ask whether attention is the point.

You mean… Use Example
hear a sound entendre J’entends la pluie.I hear the rain.
listen to something écouter J’écoute la radio.I listen to the radio.
hear about something entendre parler de J’ai entendu parler de lui.I have heard about him.
pay attention to someone écouter Écoute le professeur.Listen to the teacher.

If you can add “by accident” or “I can/can’t hear”, it is usually entendre. If you can add “carefully” or “on purpose”, it is usually écouter.

Common mistakes

Using écouter for accidental sounds

You do not actively listen to a sudden noise unless you decide to focus on it.

J’écoute un bruit. → J’entends un bruit.
I hear a noise.

Using entendre for music you choose

When you put on music, radio, or a podcast, you are listening on purpose.

J’entends de la musique tous les soirs. → J’écoute de la musique tous les soirs.
I listen to music every evening.

Translating “listen to” with à

Écouter takes a direct object in French: écouter quelqu'un, écouter la radio. Do not add à.

J’écoute à ma mère. → J’écoute ma mère.
I listen to my mother.

This pair is a good example of learning from the scene instead of translating one English verb at a time. In Fluera, prompts keep the sound source and the speaker’s intent visible, so you decide whether the person hears or listens before choosing the French verb. Try it when you practice French.

Practice

Question 1 of 10

I can hear you: Je t'___.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between entendre and écouter?
Entendre means "to hear" — a sound reaches you. Écouter means "to listen" — you pay attention on purpose. J'entends un bruit = "I hear a noise"; j'écoute la radio = "I listen to the radio".
How do you say "I can't hear you" in French?
Say Je ne t'entends pas or Je t'entends mal ("I can't hear you well"). Use entendre because the problem is whether the sound reaches you.
Is it écouter la musique or entendre la musique?
If you are actively listening to music, say écouter de la musique. You might use entendre if music is simply audible in the background: j'entends de la musique chez les voisins.
Does écouter need à?
No. Écouter takes a direct object: écouter la radio, écouter le professeur, écoute-moi. Do not say écouter à quelqu'un in standard French.