听见

• Pinyin: tīng jiàn
• Hanzi breakdown: 听 = simplified 聽 (listen); 见 = to see/perceive — 'listen and perceive'

Meaning

To hear. Emphasises that a sound was perceived. Very commonly used in spoken Chinese.

A resultative complement construction where 见 indicates perception. Nearly interchangeable with 听到, but 听见 is slightly more common in northern dialects and everyday speech. Often used in the negative: 没听见 (didn't hear).

Examples

1. 我没听见你说什么。 I didn't hear what you said.
2. 你听见那个声音了吗？ Did you hear that sound?
3. 我听见有人在叫我。 I heard someone calling me.

Usage Guide

Context: communication, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 你听见了吗？(Did you hear it?)
• 我听见他在唱歌。(I heard him singing.)

Don't Say

• 我听见不了。(Wrong negation — say 我听不见 for 'I can't hear'; the 不 goes between the verb and the complement)

Origin & History

A verb-complement compound: 听 (to listen) + 见 (to see/perceive), meaning 'listening has perceived' — a sound was successfully detected.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal