listen – English verb conjugation

English verb forms of listen

Nominal Forms

Infinitive: to listen
Participle: listened
Gerund: listening

Cognates

See the 5 cognates of listen

Indicative

Present

Ilisten
youlisten
he;she;itlistens
welisten
youlisten
theylisten

Perfect

Ihave listened
youhave listened
he;she;ithas listened
wehave listened
youhave listened
theyhave listened

Past

Ilistened
youlistened
he;she;itlistened
welistened
youlistened
theylistened

Pluperfect

Ihad listened
youhad listened
he;she;ithad listened
wehad listened
youhad listened
theyhad listened

Future

Iwill listen
youwill listen
he;she;itwill listen
wewill listen
youwill listen
theywill listen

Future Perfect

Iwill have listened
youwill have listened
he;she;itwill have listened
wewill have listened
youwill have listened
theywill have listened

Subjunctive

Present

Ilisten
youlisten
he;she;itlisten
welisten
youlisten
theylisten

Perfect

Ihave listened
youhave listened
he;she;ithave listened
wehave listened
youhave listened
theyhave listened

Imperfect

Ilistened
youlistened
he;she;itlistened
welistened
youlistened
theylistened

Pluperfect

Ihad listened
youhad listened
he;she;ithad listened
wehad listened
youhad listened
theyhad listened

Conditional

Present

Iwould listen
youwould listen
he;she;itwould listen
wewould listen
youwould listen
theywould listen

Perfect

Iwould have listened
youwould have listened
he;she;itwould have listened
wewould have listened
youwould have listened
theywould have listened

Imperative

youlisten
weLet's listen
youlisten

Progressive (Continuous) Forms

Indicative

Present

Iam listening
youare listening
he;she;itis listening
weare listening
youare listening
theyare listening

Perfect

Ihave been listening
youhave been listening
he;she;ithas been listening
wehave been listening
youhave been listening
theyhave been listening

Past

Iwas listening
youwere listening
he;she;itwas listening
wewere listening
youwere listening
theywere listening

Pluperfect

Ihad been listening
youhad been listening
he;she;ithad been listening
wehad been listening
youhad been listening
theyhad been listening

Future

Iwill be listening
youwill be listening
he;she;itwill be listening
wewill be listening
youwill be listening
theywill be listening

Future Perfect

Iwill have been listening
youwill have been listening
he;she;itwill have been listening
wewill have been listening
youwill have been listening
theywill have been listening

Conditional

Present

Iwould be listening
youwould be listening
he;she;itwould be listening
wewould be listening
youwould be listening
theywould be listening

Perfect

Iwould have been listening
youwould have been listening
he;she;itwould have been listening
wewould have been listening
youwould have been listening
theywould have been listening

Other

Verbs conjugated like 'listen'

abandon, abduct, abear, aberr, abject, abord, abort, abound, abraid, abray, abrook, abscind, abscond, absist, absorb, abstain, abstract, accend, accent, accept, etc. (List truncated at 20 verbs)

Verbs similar to 'listen'

glisten, blissen, blister, costen, dirten, distend, dister, fasten, filsten, glister,

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

listen
attend, pay attention
to pay attention to a sound
attend, behear, give ear, hark, harken, lend an ear, list, listen close, mind, note
To listen carefully or eagerly; to anticipate.
be all ears
implies response as well
heed
hear
heed, hark, hearken, attend

Antonyms

pay no attention
disregard
refuse to pay attention
ignore

Additional Information

Phrasal Verbs

Etymology

1. O.E. hlysnan "to listen," from P.Gmc. *khlusinon (cf. O.H.G. hlosen "to listen," Ger. lauschen "to listen"), from PIE base *kleu- "hearing, to hear" (cf. Skt. srnoti "hears," srosati "hears, obeys;" Avestan sraothra "ear;" M.Pers. srod "hearing, sound;" Lith. klausau "to hear," slove "splendor, honor;" O.C.S. slusati "to hear," slava "fame, glory," slovo "word;" Gk. klyo "hear, be called," kleos "report, rumor, fame glory," kleio "make famous;" L. cluere "to hear oneself called, be spoken of;" O.Ir. ro-clui-nethar "hears," clunim "I hear," clu "fame, glory," cluada "ears;" Welsh clywaf "I hear;" O.E. hlud "loud," hleoðor "tone, tune;" O.H.G. hlut "sound;" Goth. hiluþ "listening, attention"). The -t- probably is by influence of O.E. hlystan (see list (v.2)). For vowel evolution, see bury.
2. Etymology tree
3. Proto-Indo-European *ḱlew-der.
4. Proto-Germanic *hlusnijaną
5. Old English hlysnan
6. Middle English listenen
7. English listen
8. From Middle English listenen, listnen, alteration (due to Middle English listen (“to listen, give heed to”)) of Old English hlysnan (“to listen”), from Proto-Germanic *hlusnijaną, *hlusnōną (compare Middle High German lüsenen), from Proto-Germanic *hlusēną (compare Old High German hlosēn), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱlew- (“to hear”).
9. Cognate with Swedish lyssna (“to listen”).
10. Compare Ancient Greek κλαίω (klaíō, “to make known, famous”), Welsh clywed (“to hear”), Latin clueō (“to be famous”), Lithuanian klausýti, Old Church Slavonic слушати (slušati, “to hear”), Sanskrit श्रोषति (śróṣati, “an exclamation used in making an offering with fire to the gods or departed spirits”) & Sanskrit श्लोक्य (ślókya, “voice, sound, noisy”)).
11. Related to loud and German lauschen. See: Old English 'hlysnan', Middle High German 'lüsenen', Swedish 'lyssna', Welsh 'clywed', Latin 'clueō', German, old spelling 'lauschen'.

Verbs referencing "listen"

Alemannic German lose, Russian слушать, German, old spelling lauschen, Bengali, Sadhu bhasha শোনা, Russian слушаться, Albanian quaj, Proto-Slavic slušati, Sanskrit शृणोति, German, Pennsylvania lauschdere, Cimbrian lüzanan.

Sample Sentences

  • [...] the very remarkable and far from exhilarating sounds raised in their various state-rooms by the seventy passengers who were too ill to get up to breakfast. I say nothing of them: for although I lay listening to this concert for three or four days, I do n't think I heard it for more than a quarter of a minute, at the expiration of which term, I lay down again, excessively sea-sick. (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • On the ringing of a bell, the pupils all repaired, without any guide or leader, to a spacious music-hall, where they took their seats in an orchestra erected for that purpose, and listened with manifest delight to a voluntary on the organ, played by one of themselves. At its conclusion, the performer, a boy of nineteen or twenty, gave place to a girl; and to her accompaniment they [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • [...] unquestionably was; and I saw that one blind girl, who (being for the time deprived of the use of her limbs, by illness ) sat close beside me with her face towards them, wept silently the while she listened. (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • [...] by making the signs for the letters with her own fingers: the child grasps her hand, and feels her fingers, as the different letters are formed; she turns her head a little on one side like a person listening closely; her lips are apart; she seems scarcely to breathe; and her countenance, at first anxious, gradually changes to a smile, as she comprehends the lesson. She then holds up her tiny fingers, [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • “ Well, I didn't listen to it, a moment,—out of regard to your feelings, I would n't; — so give me some credit. ” (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • [...] and had a remarkable capacity of saying the same thing over and over again. His great theme was ‘Warren the ěngine driver, ’ whom he pressed into the service of every sentence he uttered. I listened to him for about a quarter of an hour; and, coming out of court at the expiration of that time, without the faintest ray of enlightenment as to the merits of the case, felt as if I were at home [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • Aunt Chloe, who was much revered in the kitchen, was listened to with open mouth; and, the dinner being now fairly sent in, the whole kitchen was at leisure to gossip with her, and to listen to her remarks. (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • [...] scarcely less blue and bright than the sky it seemed to meet. The city 's hum and buzz, the clinking of capstans, the ringing of bells, the barking of dogs, the clattering of wheels, tingled in the listening ear. All of which life and stir, coming across the stirring water, caught new life and animation from its free companionship; and, sympathising with its buoyant spirits, glistened as it seemed in [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • “ But, Mary, just listen to me. Your feelings are all quite right, dear, and interesting, and I love you for them; but, then, dear, we mustn't suffer our feelings to run away with our judgment; you must consider it's a [...] (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • “ Now, listen to me, Mary, and I can state to you a very clear argument, to show — ” (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • No, don't condescend to me. I 'm listening to you, Noah. (Disclosure Day)
  • listening to Sun FM, the best radio station … [♪ Jazz R&B music] [in English] ♪ Piano Notes on a Sunday ♪ (Who)
  • 'Linga' ' I don't think you would have listened fully to what I spoke ' (Magudam)