Mastering the Spanish Verb “Oír”: A Comprehensive Guide

Understanding how to conjugate verbs is crucial for fluency in any language, and Spanish is no exception. The verb “oír,” meaning “to hear,” is an irregular verb, making its conjugation a bit more challenging but also more rewarding to master. This article provides a comprehensive guide to conjugating “oír” in all its tenses and moods, with clear explanations, numerous examples, and practice exercises. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced learner, this resource will help you confidently use “oír” in your Spanish conversations and writing. By delving into the intricacies of this verb, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of Spanish grammar and enhance your overall language skills.

Table of Contents

• Definition of “Oír”
• Structural Breakdown of “Oír” Conjugation
• Indicative Mood Conjugations
  • Present Indicative
  • Preterite Indicative
  • Imperfect Indicative
  • Future Indicative
  • Conditional Indicative
  • Past Perfect Indicative (Pluscuamperfecto)
  • Future Perfect Indicative
  • Conditional Perfect Indicative
• Subjunctive Mood Conjugations
  • Present Subjunctive
  • Imperfect Subjunctive
  • Future Subjunctive
  • Past Perfect Subjunctive (Pluscuamperfecto)
  • Future Perfect Subjunctive
• Imperative Mood Conjugations
• Progressive Tenses with “Oír”
• Perfect Tenses with “Oír”
• Usage Rules for “Oír”
• Common Mistakes with “Oír”
• Practice Exercises
• Advanced Topics: Idiomatic Expressions with “Oír”
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Conclusion

Definition of “Oír”

The Spanish verb “oír” translates to “to hear” in English. It’s a transitive verb, meaning it typically takes a direct object – the thing being heard. “Oír” describes the act of perceiving sound through the ears. It’s a fundamental verb used in everyday conversations to discuss sounds, noises, and auditory experiences. Understanding its conjugation is essential for expressing yourself accurately and comprehensively in Spanish.

As an irregular verb, “oír” deviates from the standard conjugation patterns of regular -ir verbs. This irregularity is primarily seen in the present tense, the preterite tense, and the subjunctive mood. Recognizing these irregularities is key to mastering its conjugation. The verb belongs to the third conjugation group (-ir verbs) but presents unique challenges due to its irregular stem changes.

Structural Breakdown of “Oír” Conjugation

The conjugation of “oír” involves understanding its stem and the various endings that are added to it to indicate tense, mood, and person. The stem of “oír” undergoes changes in certain tenses, contributing to its irregularity. For example, in the present tense, the “i” changes to “y” in most forms. In the preterite tense, there are also stem changes that need to be memorized. Recognizing these patterns is crucial for accurate conjugation.

The basic structure of verb conjugation in Spanish involves identifying the verb stem and adding the appropriate ending. For “oír,” the stem is often “o-,” but this changes in irregular forms. The endings vary depending on the tense, mood, and person. Let’s break down the components of “oír” conjugation:

• Stem: The base form of the verb (e.g., “o-“).
• Endings: Suffixes added to the stem to indicate tense, mood, and person (e.g., “-igo,” “-es,” “-e”).
• Irregularities: Stem changes (e.g., “i” to “y”) and irregular endings in certain tenses.

Indicative Mood Conjugations

The indicative mood is used to express facts, statements, and objective realities. It’s the most common mood in Spanish and is used to describe what someone does, did, will do, or would do. Below are the conjugations of “oír” in the indicative mood across various tenses.

Present Indicative

The present indicative tense describes actions happening now or habitual actions. “Oír” is irregular in this tense.

The key irregularity to note is the change of “i” to “y” in all forms except *nosotros* and *vosotros*.

Pronoun	Conjugation	Translation
Yo	oigo	I hear
Tú	oyes	You hear (informal)
Él/Ella/Usted	oye	He/She/You hear (formal)
Nosotros/Nosotras	oímos	We hear
Vosotros/Vosotras	oís	You hear (informal, plural)
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes	oyen	They/You hear (formal, plural)

Here are some example sentences using “oír” in the present indicative:

Spanish Sentence	English Translation
Yo oigo música todos los días.	I hear music every day.
Tú oyes el canto de los pájaros.	You hear the birds singing.
Ella oye la radio por la mañana.	She hears the radio in the morning.
Nosotros oímos las noticias en la televisión.	We hear the news on television.
Vosotros oís el tren pasar.	You hear the train passing by.
Ellos oyen a los niños jugar en el parque.	They hear the children playing in the park.
Yo oigo un ruido extraño en la noche.	I hear a strange noise at night.
¿Oyes tú lo que estoy diciendo?	Do you hear what I am saying?
El profesor oye a los estudiantes recitar.	The professor hears the students reciting.
Nosotros oímos el mar desde nuestra ventana.	We hear the sea from our window.
Vosotros oís las campanas de la iglesia.	You hear the church bells.
Ellas oyen hablar de política en la cena.	They hear talk about politics at dinner.
Yo oigo a mi vecino tocar la guitarra.	I hear my neighbor playing the guitar.
¿Oyes el viento soplar?	Do you hear the wind blowing?
Ella oye las olas del mar.	She hears the waves of the sea.
Nosotros oímos el tráfico de la ciudad.	We hear the city traffic.
Vosotros oís la lluvia caer.	You hear the rain falling.
Ellos oyen el despertador sonar.	They hear the alarm clock ringing.
Yo oigo a mi gato ronronear.	I hear my cat purring.
Tú oyes la televisión encendida.	You hear the television on.

Preterite Indicative

The preterite indicative tense describes completed actions in the past. “Oír” is irregular in the preterite tense.

The key irregularities are the stem change in the third person singular and plural (oyó, oyeron) and the accent marks.

Pronoun	Conjugation	Translation
Yo	oí	I heard
Tú	oíste	You heard (informal)
Él/Ella/Usted	oyó	He/She/You heard (formal)
Nosotros/Nosotras	oímos	We heard
Vosotros/Vosotras	oísteis	You heard (informal, plural)
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes	oyeron	They/You heard (formal, plural)

Here are some example sentences using “oír” in the preterite indicative:

Spanish Sentence	English Translation
Yo oí un trueno anoche.	I heard thunder last night.
Tú oíste las noticias en la radio.	You heard the news on the radio.
Él oyó un grito en la calle.	He heard a scream in the street.
Nosotros oímos una canción hermosa en el concierto.	We heard a beautiful song at the concert.
Vosotros oísteis la explosión desde lejos.	You heard the explosion from far away.
Ellos oyeron el anuncio en la televisión.	They heard the advertisement on television.
Yo oí a mi abuela contar historias.	I heard my grandmother telling stories.
¿Oíste lo que dijo el profesor?	Did you hear what the professor said?
Ella oyó a su nombre ser llamado.	She heard her name being called.
Nosotros oímos el discurso del presidente.	We heard the president’s speech.
Vosotros oísteis el rumor en la oficina.	You heard the rumor in the office.
Ellas oyeron el timbre de la puerta.	They heard the doorbell.
Yo oí el sonido de las olas en la playa.	I heard the sound of the waves on the beach.
Tú oíste las risas de los niños.	You heard the children’s laughter.
Él oyó el llanto del bebé.	He heard the baby crying.
Nosotros oímos el silbido del tren.	We heard the train whistle.
Vosotros oísteis el eco en la montaña.	You heard the echo in the mountain.
Ellos oyeron el disparo en la distancia.	They heard the gunshot in the distance.
Yo oí una conversación interesante ayer.	I heard an interesting conversation yesterday.
Tú oíste la música en la fiesta.	You heard the music at the party.

Imperfect Indicative

The imperfect indicative tense describes ongoing or habitual actions in the past. “Oír” is regular in this tense.

Pronoun	Conjugation	Translation
Yo	oía	I used to hear/was hearing
Tú	oías	You used to hear/were hearing (informal)
Él/Ella/Usted	oía	He/She/You used to hear/were hearing (formal)
Nosotros/Nosotras	oíamos	We used to hear/were hearing
Vosotros/Vosotras	oíais	You used to hear/were hearing (informal, plural)
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes	oían	They/You used to hear/were hearing (formal, plural)

Here are some example sentences using “oír” in the imperfect indicative:

Spanish Sentence	English Translation
Yo oía a mi abuelo contar historias todas las noches.	I used to hear my grandfather telling stories every night.
Tú oías música clásica cuando eras niño.	You used to hear classical music when you were a child.
Ella oía el mar desde su ventana cuando vivía en la costa.	She used to hear the sea from her window when she lived on the coast.
Nosotros oíamos las campanas de la iglesia todos los domingos.	We used to hear the church bells every Sunday.
Vosotros oíais el tráfico por la noche en la ciudad.	You used to hear the traffic at night in the city.
Ellos oían a los grillos cantar en el campo.	They used to hear the crickets chirping in the countryside.
Yo oía el viento soplar a través de los árboles.	I used to hear the wind blowing through the trees.
¿Oías tú lo que te decía tu madre?	Were you hearing what your mother was telling you?
Él oía voces en su cabeza.	He was hearing voices in his head.
Nosotros oíamos el ruido de la lluvia en el tejado.	We were hearing the sound of the rain on the roof.
Vosotros oíais el programa de radio todas las tardes.	You used to hear the radio program every afternoon.
Ellas oían a los vecinos discutir a menudo.	They often used to hear the neighbors arguing.
Yo oía a mi hermana practicar el piano.	I used to hear my sister practicing the piano.
Tú oías los cuentos antes de dormir.	You used to hear stories before sleeping.
Ella oía los pájaros cantar por la mañana.	She used to hear the birds singing in the morning.
Nosotros oíamos la radio mientras trabajábamos.	We were hearing the radio while we worked.
Vosotros oíais los latidos de vuestro corazón.	You were hearing the beating of your heart.
Ellos oían las sirenas de la policía.	They were hearing the police sirens.
Yo oía las noticias cada mañana.	I used to hear the news every morning.
Tú oías a tu padre leer el periódico.	You used to hear your father reading the newspaper.

Future Indicative

The future indicative tense describes actions that will happen in the future. “Oír” is regular in this tense.

Pronoun	Conjugation	Translation
Yo	oiré	I will hear
Tú	oirás	You will hear (informal)
Él/Ella/Usted	oirá	He/She/You will hear (formal)
Nosotros/Nosotras	oiremos	We will hear
Vosotros/Vosotras	oiréis	You will hear (informal, plural)
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes	oirán	They/You will hear (formal, plural)

Here are some example sentences using “oír” in the future indicative:

Spanish Sentence	English Translation
Yo oiré el discurso mañana.	I will hear the speech tomorrow.
Tú oirás las noticias en la radio.	You will hear the news on the radio.
Él oirá la música en el concierto.	He will hear the music at the concert.
Nosotros oiremos el anuncio en la televisión.	We will hear the advertisement on television.
Vosotros oiréis el sonido de las olas en la playa.	You will hear the sound of the waves on the beach.
Ellos oirán el timbre de la puerta cuando lleguemos.	They will hear the doorbell when we arrive.
Yo oiré a mi banda favorita en vivo.	I will hear my favorite band live.
¿Oirás lo que tengo que decir?	Will you hear what I have to say?
Ella oirá su canción en la radio algún día.	She will hear her song on the radio someday.
Nosotros oiremos las campanas el día de Navidad.	We will hear the bells on Christmas Day.
Vosotros oiréis el avión despegando.	You will hear the plane taking off.
Ellas oirán los aplausos después de la obra.	They will hear the applause after the play.
Yo oiré el resultado de la votación mañana.	I will hear the result of the vote tomorrow.
Tú oirás la verdad de mis labios.	You will hear the truth from my lips.
Él oirá su nombre en los premios.	He will hear his name at the awards.
Nosotros oiremos la confirmación pronto.	We will hear the confirmation soon.
Vosotros oiréis mi voz en el futuro.	You will hear my voice in the future.
Ellos oirán el veredicto del jurado.	They will hear the jury’s verdict.
Yo oiré la respuesta a mi pregunta.	I will hear the answer to my question.
Tú oirás mi consejo algún día.	You will hear my advice someday.

Conditional Indicative

The conditional indicative tense describes actions that would happen under certain conditions. “Oír” is regular in this tense.

Pronoun	Conjugation	Translation
Yo	oiría	I would hear
Tú	oirías	You would hear (informal)
Él/Ella/Usted	oiría	He/She/You would hear (formal)
Nosotros/Nosotras	oiríamos	We would hear
Vosotros/Vosotras	oiríais	You would hear (informal, plural)
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes	oirían	They/You would hear (formal, plural)

Here are some example sentences using “oír” in the conditional indicative:

Spanish Sentence	English Translation
Yo oiría el concierto si tuviera tiempo.	I would hear the concert if I had time.
Tú oirías las noticias si encendieras la radio.	You would hear the news if you turned on the radio.
Él oiría el mensaje si revisara su correo de voz.	He would hear the message if he checked his voicemail.
Nosotros oiríamos la verdad si nos la contaran.	We would hear the truth if they told us.
Vosotros oiríais el sonido de la lluvia si estuvierais afuera.	You would hear the sound of the rain if you were outside.
Ellos oirían el anuncio si vieran la televisión.	They would hear the advertisement if they watched television.
Yo oiría su voz si estuviera cerca.	I would hear her voice if she were near.
¿Oirías mi consejo si te lo diera?	Would you hear my advice if I gave it to you?
Ella oiría la canción si la pusieran.	She would hear the song if they played it.
Nosotros oiríamos las campanas si viviéramos cerca de la iglesia.	We would hear the bells if we lived near the church.
Vosotros oiríais el mar si os acercarais a la costa.	You would hear the sea if you got closer to the coast.
Ellas oirían los rumores si trabajaran aquí.	They would hear the rumors if they worked here.
Yo oiría la respuesta si preguntara.	I would hear the answer if I asked.
Tú oirías la diferencia si prestaras atención.	You would hear the difference if you paid attention.
Él oiría el aplauso si ganara.	He would hear the applause if he won.
Nosotros oiríamos la música si fuéramos a la fiesta.	We would hear the music if we went to the party.
Vosotros oiríais mi queja si tuvierais paciencia.	You would hear my complaint if you had patience.
Ellos oirían mi nombre si me presentaran.	They would hear my name if they introduced me.
Yo oiría la explicación si me la dieran.	I would hear the explanation if they gave it to me.
Tú oirías mi secreto si prometieras no contarlo.	You would hear my secret if you promised not to tell it.

Past Perfect Indicative (Pluscuamperfecto)

The past perfect indicative, or pluscuamperfecto, describes an action that had happened before another action in the past. It’s formed using the imperfect of “haber” + the past participle of “oír” (oído).

Pronoun	Conjugation	Translation
Yo	había oído	I had heard
Tú	habías oído	You had heard (informal)
Él/Ella/Usted	había oído	He/She/You had heard (formal)
Nosotros/Nosotras	habíamos oído	We had heard
Vosotros/Vosotras	habíais oído	You had heard (informal, plural)
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes	habían oído	They/You had heard (formal, plural)

Future Perfect Indicative

The future perfect indicative describes an action that will have been completed at some point in the future. It is formed using the future tense of “haber” + the past participle of “oír” (oído).

Pronoun	Conjugation	Translation
Yo	habré oído	I will have heard
Tú	habrás oído	You will have heard (informal)
Él/Ella/Usted	habrá oído	He/She/You will have heard (formal)
Nosotros/Nosotras	habremos oído	We will have heard
Vosotros/Vosotras	habréis oído	You will have heard (informal, plural)
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes	habrán oído	They/You will have heard (formal, plural)

Conditional Perfect Indicative

The conditional perfect indicative describes an action that would have happened had a certain condition been met. It is formed using the conditional tense of “haber” + the past participle of “oír” (oído).

Pronoun	Conjugation	Translation
Yo	habría oído	I would have heard
Tú	habrías oído	You would have heard (informal)
Él/Ella/Usted	habría oído	He/She/You would have heard (formal)
Nosotros/Nosotras	habríamos oído	We would have heard
Vosotros/Vosotras	habríais oído	You would have heard (informal, plural)
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes	habrían oído	They/You would have heard (formal, plural)

Subjunctive Mood Conjugations

The subjunctive mood is used to express doubts, wishes, emotions, and possibilities. It’s often used in subordinate clauses introduced by conjunctions like “que” (that), “si” (if), and “para que” (so that). The subjunctive mood often appears with verbs expressing volition, influence, emotion, doubt or denial.

Present Subjunctive

The present subjunctive is used for present or future hypothetical situations, wishes, or doubts. “Oír” is irregular in this tense.

Pronoun	Conjugation	Translation
Yo	oiga	I hear (subjunctive)
Tú	oigas	You hear (subjunctive, informal)
Él/Ella/Usted	oiga	He/She/You hear (subjunctive, formal)
Nosotros/Nosotras	oigamos	We hear (subjunctive)
Vosotros/Vosotras	oigáis	You hear (subjunctive, informal, plural)
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes	oigan	They/You hear (subjunctive, formal, plural)

Imperfect Subjunctive

The imperfect subjunctive is used to express past hypothetical situations, wishes, or doubts. There are two forms: -ra and -se. Both are equally valid.

Pronoun	-ra Form	-se Form	Translation
Yo	oyera	oyese	I heard (subjunctive)
Tú	oyeras	oyeses	You heard (subjunctive, informal)
Él/Ella/Usted	oyera	oyese	He/She/You heard (subjunctive, formal)
Nosotros/Nosotras	oyéramos	oyésemos	We heard (subjunctive)
Vosotros/Vosotras	oyerais	oyeseis	You heard (subjunctive, informal, plural)
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes	oyeran	oyesen	They/You heard (subjunctive, formal, plural)

Future Subjunctive

The future subjunctive is rarely used in modern Spanish. It is used in formal or legal contexts to refer to actions that might happen in the future. “Oír” is regular in this tense.

Pronoun	Conjugation	Translation
Yo	oyere	If I should hear
Tú	oyeres	If you should hear (informal)
Él/Ella/Usted	oyere	If he/she/you should hear (formal)
Nosotros/Nosotras	oyéremos	If we should hear
Vosotros/Vosotras	oyereis	If you should hear (informal, plural)
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes	oyeren	If they/you should hear (formal, plural)

Past Perfect Subjunctive (Pluscuamperfecto)

The past perfect subjunctive describes an action that had happened before another action in the past, in a hypothetical or doubtful context. It’s formed using the imperfect subjunctive of “haber” + the past participle of “oír” (oído).

Pronoun	-ra Form	-se Form	Translation
Yo	hubiera oído	hubiese oído	I had heard (subjunctive)
Tú	hubieras oído	hubieses oído	You had heard (subjunctive, informal)
Él/Ella/Usted	hubiera oído	hubiese oído	He/She/You had heard (subjunctive, formal)
Nosotros/Nosotras	hubiéramos oído	hubiésemos oído	We had heard (subjunctive)
Vosotros/Vosotras	hubierais oído	hubieseis oído	You had heard (subjunctive, informal, plural)
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes	hubieran oído	hubiesen oído	They/You had heard (subjunctive, formal, plural)

Future Perfect Subjunctive

The future perfect subjunctive is rarely used. It is used to describe a hypothetical action that will have been completed by a certain time in the future. It is formed with the future subjunctive of “haber” + the past participle of “oír” (oído).

Pronoun	Conjugation	Translation
Yo	hubiere oído	If I should have heard
Tú	hubieres oído	If you should have heard (informal)
Él/Ella/Usted	hubiere oído	If he/she/you should have heard (formal)
Nosotros/Nosotras	hubiéremos oído	If we should have heard
Vosotros/Vosotras	hubiereis oído	If you should have heard (informal, plural)
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes	hubieren oído	If they/you should have heard (formal, plural)

Imperative Mood Conjugations

The imperative mood is used to give commands or instructions. “Oír” has imperative forms, but they are not frequently used in everyday speech.

Pronoun	Conjugation	Translation
Tú (informal)	oye	Hear!
Usted (formal)	oiga	Hear!
Nosotros/Nosotras	oigamos	Let’s hear!
Vosotros/Vosotras (informal, plural)	oíd	Hear!
Ustedes (formal, plural)	oigan	Hear!

Progressive Tenses with “Oír”

Progressive tenses, also known as continuous tenses, describe actions that are in progress at a specific time. They are formed using the verb “estar” (to be) + the gerund of “oír” (oyendo).

Tense	Conjugation	Translation
Present Progressive	Estoy oyendo	I am hearing
Imperfect Progressive	Estaba oyendo	I was hearing
Preterite Progressive	Estuve oyendo	I was hearing (completed action)
Future Progressive	Estaré oyendo	I will be hearing
Conditional Progressive	Estaría oyendo	I would be hearing
Present Subjunctive Progressive	Esté oyendo	That I be hearing
Imperfect Subjunctive Progressive (-ra)	Estuviera oyendo	That I were hearing
Imperfect Subjunctive Progressive (-se)	Estuviese oyendo	That I were hearing
Future Subjunctive Progressive	Estuviere oyendo	If I should be hearing

Here are some example sentences using the progressive tenses with “oír”:

• Estoy oyendo música relajante. (I am hearing relaxing music.)
• Estaba oyendo las noticias cuando llegaste. (I was hearing the news when you arrived.)
• Estaré oyendo tu presentación mañana. (I will be hearing your presentation tomorrow.)
• Estaría oyendo el concierto si no estuviera enfermo. (I would be hearing the concert if I weren’t sick.)

Perfect Tenses with “Oír”

Perfect tenses indicate actions that have been completed at a specific point in time. They are formed using the auxiliary verb “haber” (to have) + the past participle of “oír” (oído).

Tense	Conjugation	Translation
Present Perfect	He oído	I have heard
Past Perfect (Pluperfect)	Había oído	I had heard
Future Perfect	Habré oído	I will have heard
Conditional Perfect	Habría oído	I would have heard
Present Subjunctive Perfect	Haya oído	I have heard (subjunctive)
Past Subjunctive Perfect (-ra)	Hubiera oído	I had heard (subjunctive)
Past Subjunctive Perfect (-se)	Hubiese oído	I had heard (subjunctive)
Future Subjunctive Perfect	Hubiere oído	I should have heard

Here are some example sentences using the perfect tenses with “oír”:

• He oído buenas críticas sobre esa película. (I have heard good reviews about that movie.)
• Había oído rumores sobre su renuncia antes de que se hiciera oficial. (I had heard rumors about his resignation before it became official.)
• Habré oído todas las canciones del álbum para el viernes. (I will have heard all the songs on the album by Friday.)
• Habría oído la respuesta si hubiera estado prestando atención. (I would have heard the answer if I had been paying attention.)

Usage Rules for “Oír”

“Oír” is used to describe the act of perceiving sound. Here are some specific usage rules to keep in mind:

• Direct Object: “Oír” typically takes a direct object, which is the sound or thing being heard.
  • Oigo la música. (I hear the music.)
• “Oír hablar de”: This phrase means “to hear about” or “to hear of.”
  • Oí hablar de ese restaurante. (I heard about that restaurant.)
• Reflexive Use: “Oírse” (to hear oneself) is used when someone is hearing their own voice or sound.
  • Me oigo en la grabación. (I hear myself in the recording.)
• Prepositions: When specifying from whom or where you heard something, use prepositions like “de” (from) or “en” (in).
  • Oí la noticia de mi amigo. (I heard the news from my friend.)
  • Oí un ruido en la calle. (I heard a noise in the street.)

Common Mistakes with “Oír”

Even experienced Spanish learners can make mistakes with “oír.” Here are some common errors to avoid:

• Confusion with “Escuchar”: While both “oír” and “escuchar” relate to hearing, “oír” is simply perceiving sound, whereas “escuchar” means “to listen” actively and intentionally.
  • Oigo la música. Escucho la música. (I listen to the music.)
  • Estoy oyendo a mi profesor. Estoy escuchando a mi profesor. (I am listening to my teacher.)
• Incorrect Stem Changes: Forgetting the “i” to “y” stem change in the present tense or the irregular forms in the preterite tense.
  • Yo oígo la radio. Yo oigo la radio. (I hear the radio.)
  • Él oió un ruido. Él oyó un ruido. (He heard a noise.)
• Misusing the Subjunctive: Not using the subjunctive when expressing doubt, wishes, or emotions.
  • Espero que oyes la verdad. Espero que oigas la verdad. (I hope that you hear the truth.)

Practice Exercises

Advanced Topics: Idiomatic Expressions with “Oír”

“Oír” appears in several idiomatic expressions that add color and nuance to the Spanish language. Here are a few examples:

• Oír campanas y no saber dónde: To hear rumors but not know the source or the full story. (Hearing bells but not knowing where.)
• Hacer oídos sordos: To turn a deaf ear or ignore something intentionally. (To make deaf ears.)
• Oír misa: To attend mass, but also used metaphorically to mean to listen to someone attentively or obey them. (To hear mass.)

Example Sentences:

• Oigo campanas y no sé dónde, hay rumores de cambios en la empresa. (I hear rumors but don’t know where, there are rumors of changes in the company.)
• Hizo oídos sordos a mis consejos. (He turned a deaf ear to my advice.)
• Tendrás que oír misa si quieres trabajar aquí. (You’ll have to listen attentively if you want to work here.)

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Mastering the conjugation of “oír” is an essential step in becoming proficient in Spanish. While it presents some irregularities, understanding its patterns and practicing consistently will enable you to use this verb confidently and accurately. Remember to distinguish between “oír” and “escuchar,” pay attention to stem changes, and utilize the various tenses and moods to express a wide range of meanings. With dedication and practice, you’ll be well on your way to mastering “oír” and enhancing your overall Spanish language skills. Keep practicing, listening, and speaking, and you’ll find that using “oír” becomes second nature.