Oír in the Present Tense: Forms, Meanings & Example Sentences 2026

Learning Spanish verbs can be confusing, especially when a verb changes its spelling or pronunciation in different forms.

The verb oír is a good example. It means “to hear” in English, and it is commonly used when talking about sounds, music, conversations, and things you hear every day.

The oír present tense is useful when you want to say “I hear,” “you hear,” or “they hear” in Spanish.

However, oír is an irregular verb, so its present tense forms do not all follow the usual patterns of regular Spanish verbs. For example, you say yo oigo for “I hear,” but tú oyes for “you hear.”

In this guide, you will learn the present tense conjugation of oír, its sentence patterns, practical uses, and common mistakes.

You will also see simple Spanish examples with English translations and practice exercises to help you use the verb correctly in everyday conversations.

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Quick Answer: Oír Present Tense

The Spanish verb oír means “to hear.” In the present indicative tense, it is conjugated as oigo, oyes, oye, oímos, oís, and oyen. It is irregular because its stem and spelling change across different subject forms.

Spanish Subject	Oír (Present)	English Meaning
Yo	oigo	I hear
Tú	oyes	You hear
Él / Ella / Usted	oye	He / She hears; You hear
Nosotros/as	oímos	We hear
Vosotros/as	oís	You all hear
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes	oyen	They hear; You all hear

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What Is the Oír Present Tense?

The oír present tense is the Spanish present indicative form of the verb oír, which means “to hear.” You use it to talk about sounds you hear now, things you hear regularly, or information that reaches your ears.

For example:

• Oigo música.  I hear music.
• ¿Oyes ese ruido?  Do you hear that noise?
• Ella oye la radio.  She listens to the radio.
• Oímos un sonido extraño.  We hear a strange sound.
• Ellos oyen las noticias.  They hear the news.

In Spanish, verbs change their endings and sometimes their stems depending on the subject. This process is called conjugation. Because oír is irregular, you need to learn its present tense forms rather than simply adding the endings used with a regular verb.

What Does Oír Mean in Spanish?

The basic meaning of oír is “to hear.” It focuses on receiving or noticing a sound through your ears.

Compare these examples:

• Oigo un perro.  I hear a dog.
• Oigo música.  I hear music.
• Oigo tu voz.  I hear your voice.

English speakers sometimes confuse oír with escuchar, which means “to listen.” The difference is explained later in this article, but remember that oír often emphasizes hearing a sound, while escuchar often emphasizes paying attention to it.

Is Oír a Regular or Irregular Verb?

Oír is an irregular Spanish verb. Its present tense forms include different stem changes and written accents.

For example:

• Yo oigo  I hear.
• Tú oyes  You hear.
• Nosotros oímos  We hear.

Notice that the forms do not all share one unchanged stem. This is why memorizing the complete conjugation table is helpful.

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Structure of Sentences of the Oír Present Tense

Spanish sentences with oír follow the usual word order for statements, negatives, and questions. Spanish often allows the subject pronoun to be omitted because the verb form already gives information about who is doing the action.

1. Affirmative Sentences

Use a subject followed by the correct form of oír. You can also leave out the subject pronoun when it is clear.

Pattern: Subject + conjugated form of oír + object or complement

Examples:

• Yo oigo música.  I hear music.
• Tú oyes un ruido.  You hear a noise.
• María oye la televisión.  María hears the television.
• Nosotros oímos las noticias.  We hear the news.

You can also say Oigo música instead of Yo oigo música. Both are correct.

2. Negative Sentences

To make a negative sentence, place no immediately before the conjugated verb.

Pattern: Subject + no + conjugated form of oír + object or complement

Examples:

• No oigo nada.  I do not hear anything.
• Tú no oyes la alarma.  You do not hear the alarm.
• Ella no oye bien.  She does not hear well.
• No oímos el teléfono.  We do not hear the phone.

In Spanish, no comes before the verb, unlike the English structure with “do not” or “does not.”

3. Interrogative Sentences

For a yes or no question, Spanish can use the same basic word order as a statement, with question marks and question intonation. You can also place the subject after the verb.

Pattern: ¿Conjugated form of oír + subject + complement?

Examples:

• ¿Oyes música?  Do you hear music?
• ¿Oye usted la radio?  Do you hear the radio?
• ¿Oís el ruido?  Do you all hear the noise? (Spain)
• ¿Ellos oyen la alarma?  Do they hear the alarm?

Spanish uses an opening question mark (¿) and a closing question mark (?). English uses “do” or “does” in these questions, but Spanish does not need an equivalent helping verb here.

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Formation of the Oír Present Tense

The present tense of oír is irregular, so its forms must be learned individually. The verb also contains written accent marks that should not be dropped.

Complete Oír Conjugation Chart

Subject Pronoun	Conjugation	English Translation
Yo	oigo	I hear
Tú	oyes	You hear (informal singular)
Él	oye	He hears
Ella	oye	She hears
Usted	oye	You hear (formal singular)
Nosotros	oímos	We hear
Nosotras	oímos	We hear
Vosotros	oís	You all hear (informal, Spain)
Vosotras	oís	You all hear (informal, Spain)
Ellos	oyen	They hear (masculine or mixed group)
Ellas	oyen	They hear (feminine group)
Ustedes	oyen	You all hear

In most of Latin America, ustedes is used for plural “you.” In Spain, vosotros and vosotras are commonly used for informal plural “you,” while ustedes is used in formal contexts and in some regional varieties.

Why Does Oír Change to Oigo, Oyes, and Oyen?

The forms of oír do not all follow the same spelling pattern.

• Oigo: The first person singular form uses an added g.
• Oyes, oye, oyen: These forms use y between the vowel sounds.
• Oímos and oís: These forms preserve the written accent on í.

These changes are part of the verb’s irregular conjugation. Do not try to create the forms by simply adding regular present tense endings to oír.

What Happens to the Accent Mark?

The infinitive is written oír, with an accent on the í. The forms oímos and oís also retain the accent.

Examples:

• Oímos música todos los días.  We hear music every day.
• ¿Oís la canción?  Do you all hear the song?

The accent marks are part of standard Spanish spelling. They should be included when writing these forms.

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How to Use the Oír Present Tense

The present tense of oír has several everyday uses. It can describe a sound you hear at the moment, a repeated experience, or something you can or cannot hear.

1. Talking About Sounds You Hear Now

Use oír when you notice a sound around you.

Examples:

• Oigo un pájaro.  I hear a bird.
• ¿Oyes esa música?  Do you hear that music?
• Ella oye un ruido en la cocina.  She hears a noise in the kitchen.
• Oímos voces afuera.  We hear voices outside.

These sentences describe hearing a sound, not necessarily making an effort to listen carefully.

2. Talking About Things You Hear Regularly

You can use the present tense for sounds or information you hear as part of your routine.

Examples:

• Oigo las noticias por la mañana.  I hear the news in the morning.
• Él oye la radio en el coche.  He listens to the radio in the car.
• Oímos música después de clase.  We hear music after class.
• Mis vecinos oyen el tren todas las noches.  My neighbors hear the train every night.

English may use “listen to” in some of these translations because that sounds more natural. In Spanish, however, the choice between oír and escuchar depends on the intended meaning.

3. Talking About Hearing Ability

Oír can describe if someone hears a sound clearly or has difficulty hearing it.

Examples:

• No oigo bien.  I cannot hear well.
• ¿Me oyes?  Can you hear me?
• Mi abuelo oye muy bien.  My grandfather hears very well.
• No oímos la televisión desde aquí.  We cannot hear the television from here.

You do not always need to translate oír literally as “hear.” In questions such as ¿Me oyes?, English speakers commonly say “Can you hear me?” The Spanish present tense form remains oyes.

4. Asking if Someone Hears You

This is especially useful during phone calls, online meetings, and conversations in noisy places.

Examples:

• ¿Me oyes ahora?  Can you hear me now?
• ¿Me oye, profesor?  Can you hear me, teacher?
• No te oigo bien.  I cannot hear you well.
• Los oigo perfectamente.  I can hear them perfectly.

Notice that the pronouns me, te, and los appear before the conjugated verb. These pronouns identify the person or people being heard.

5. Using Oír With Common Expressions

Oír appears in several practical expressions.

Spanish Expression	English Meaning
Oír música	To hear music
Oír un ruido	To hear a noise
Oír una voz	To hear a voice
Oír las noticias	To hear the news
No oír nada	To hear nothing
¿Me oyes?	Can you hear me?
Oír hablar de algo	To hear about something

Examples:

• Oigo hablar de ese restaurante.  I hear people talking about that restaurant.
• No oigo nada en la habitación.  I hear nothing in the room.
• ¿Has oído hablar de ella?  Have you heard of her?

The last example uses the present perfect tense, not the simple present. It is included to show a common related expression; the present tense form of oír itself is still the focus of this guide.

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Oír Present Tense: Structure and Verb Pattern Table

Use this compact table to review the most important forms of oír and how they work in everyday sentences.

Sentence Type	Spanish Pattern	Example
Affirmative	Subject + oír form	Yo oigo música.
Negative	Subject + no + oír form	Yo no oigo música.
Question	¿Oír form + subject?	¿Oyes música?
With a pronoun	Pronoun + oír form	Te oigo.
Hearing ability	Oír form + bien/mal	Ella oye bien.

Remember that the conjugated form changes with the subject. For example, yo oigo, tú oyes, and ellos oyen are correct. The negative word no comes before the verb, while object pronouns such as me and te normally come before the conjugated verb.

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Real Life Oír Present Tense Examples

The following examples show how to use oír in conversations, at school, at home, and in other everyday situations.

Affirmative Examples

1. Yo oigo música en mi habitación.  I hear music in my room.
2. Mi hermana oye la alarma.  My sister hears the alarm.
3. Nosotros oímos las noticias por la mañana.  We hear the news in the morning.
4. Los estudiantes oyen al profesor.  The students hear the teacher.
5. Tú oyes un perro afuera.  You hear a dog outside.

Negative Examples

1. No oigo el teléfono.  I do not hear the phone.
2. Ella no oye nada.  She does not hear anything.
3. No oímos la música desde aquí.  We do not hear the music from here.
4. Mis amigos no oyen la alarma.  My friends do not hear the alarm.
5. Tú no oyes bien con tanto ruido.  You cannot hear well with so much noise.

Question Examples

1. ¿Oyes ese sonido?  Do you hear that sound?
2. ¿Oye usted la televisión?  Do you hear the television?
3. ¿Oímos música en la casa?  Do we hear music in the house?
4. ¿Ellos oyen las instrucciones?  Do they hear the instructions?
5. ¿Me oyes ahora?  Can you hear me now?

Formal and Informal Examples

Spanish uses different forms of “you” depending on the situation and region.

Situation	Spanish Example	English Meaning
Informal, one person	¿Me oyes?	Can you hear me?
Formal, one person	¿Me oye usted?	Can you hear me?
Informal plural in Spain	¿Me oís?	Can you all hear me?
Plural in most of Latin America	¿Me oyen?	Can you all hear me?

For example, when speaking to a friend in Spain, you might say ¿Me oyes? When speaking formally to one person, you can say ¿Me oye usted?\

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Common Mistakes With the Oír Present Tense

Spanish learners often make mistakes with oír because its forms are irregular. Understanding the differences will help you avoid them.

Mistake 1: Using Oyo Instead of Oigo

Incorrect: Yo oyo música.

Correct: Yo oigo música.

Explanation: The first person singular form is oigo, not oyo. Memorize this form because it does not follow the same spelling pattern as oyes or oye.

Mistake 2: Using Oís for “You Hear” When Addressing One Person

Incorrect: Tú oís música.

Correct: Tú oyes música.

Explanation: Oyes is used with tú. The form oís is used with vosotros or vosotras when addressing an informal plural group in Spain.

Mistake 3: Forgetting the Accent Mark

Incorrect: Nosotros oimos música.

Correct: Nosotros oímos música.

Explanation: The correct spelling includes an accent on the í in oímos. The form oís also requires an accent.

Mistake 4: Adding an English Helping Verb

Incorrect: ¿Do you oyes música?

Correct: ¿Oyes música?

Explanation: Spanish does not use the English auxiliary “do” to form an ordinary present tense question with oír. Use the correct Spanish verb form and Spanish question marks.

Mistake 5: Confusing Oír With Escuchar

Incorrect for the intended meaning “I am listening carefully to the teacher”: Oigo al profesor con atención.

More natural: Escucho al profesor con atención.

Explanation: Oír usually focuses on hearing a sound, while escuchar emphasizes paying attention. Both verbs can be correct in different contexts, so choose according to your intended meaning.

Mistake 6: Using the Wrong Verb Form With Nosotros

Incorrect: Nosotros oyen música.

Correct: Nosotros oímos música.

Explanation: Oyen goes with ellos, ellas, and ustedes. The correct form for nosotros and nosotras is oímos.

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Key Grammar Rules for Oír Present Tense

Keep these essential rules in mind when writing or speaking Spanish.

1. Learn the six main forms. The present tense forms are oigo, oyes, oye, oímos, oís, and oyen.

2. Match the verb to the subject. Use oigo with yo, oyes with tú, and oyen with ellos, ellas, or ustedes.

3. Place no before the verb. Say No oigo nada, not Oigo no nada.

4. Do not add do or does to questions. Say ¿Oyes música? instead of copying English question structure.

5. Keep the written accents. Write oímos and oís with their accent marks.

6. Choose between oír and escuchar carefully. Use oír for hearing a sound and escuchar when emphasizing listening or paying attention.

7. Remember that subject pronouns are often optional. Oigo música and Yo oigo música are both correct. Include the pronoun when you want to emphasize the subject or make the meaning clearer.

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Oír Present Tense Compared With Similar Spanish Verb Forms

Understanding how oír differs from related verbs and tenses can help you express yourself more accurately.

Oír vs. Escuchar

Both verbs relate to sound, but they do not always mean exactly the same thing.

Verb	Main Idea	Example
Oír	To hear a sound	Oigo un ruido. — I hear a noise.
Escuchar	To listen or pay attention	Escucho música. — I listen to music.

You might hear a sound without trying to listen to it. However, when you deliberately pay attention to a song or a speaker, escuchar is often the more natural choice.

Oír Present Tense vs. Oír Past Tense

The present tense describes what someone hears now or regularly. The preterite past tense describes a completed hearing event in the past.

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Tense	Spanish Example	English Meaning
Present	Oigo un ruido.	I hear a noise.
Preterite	Oí un ruido.	I heard a noise.
Imperfect	Oía un ruido.	I used to hear a noise / I was hearing a noise.

Notice that oí is a past tense form, while oigo is the present tense form for yo.

Oír Present Tense vs. Oír Present Progressive

The simple present and present progressive describe actions in different ways.

• Simple present: Oigo música.  I hear music.
• Present progressive: Estoy oyendo música.  I am listening to/hearing music right now.

The present progressive uses a form of estar plus the gerund oyendo. Use it when you want to emphasize an ongoing action. The simple present is suitable for general facts, routines, and many situations involving sounds.

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Oír Present Tense Exercises

Practice the conjugation rules with the exercises below. Try answering them before checking the answer key.

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks

Complete each sentence with the correct present tense form of oír.

1. Yo ______ música en casa.
2. Tú ______ un ruido extraño.
3. Ella ______ la radio.
4. Nosotros ______ las noticias.
5. Vosotros ______ la canción.
6. Ellos ______ al profesor.

Exercise 2: Correct the Mistakes

Rewrite each sentence correctly.

1. Yo oyo la música.
2. Tú oís el teléfono.
3. Nosotros oimos un ruido.
4. Ella no oigo nada.
5. ¿Do you oyes me?

Exercise 3: Translate Into Spanish

Translate each sentence using the present tense of oír.

1. I hear a bird.
2. You hear the music. (Informal singular)
3. She does not hear the alarm.
4. We hear the news.
5. Can you hear me? (Informal singular)

Exercise 4: Multiple Choice Questions

1. What is the correct present tense form for yo?

• A. Oye
• B. Oigo
• C. Oyen

2. Which form goes with nosotros?

• A. Oís
• B. Oyen
• C. Oímos

3. How do you say “I do not hear anything”?

• A. No oigo nada.
• B. Oigo no nada.
• C. No oye nada.

4. Which verb often emphasizes paying attention to sound?

• A. Ser
• B. Escuchar
• C. Tener

5. Which sentence is correct?

• A. Tú oye música.
• B. Tú oyes música.
• C. Tú oigo música.

Answer Key

Exercise 1

1. oigo
2. oyes
3. oye
4. oímos
5. oís
6. oyen

Exercise 2

1. Yo oigo la música.
2. Tú oyes el teléfono.
3. Nosotros oímos un ruido.
4. Ella no oye nada.
5. ¿Me oyes?

Exercise 3

1. Oigo un pájaro.
2. Oyes la música.
3. Ella no oye la alarma.
4. Oímos las noticias.
5. ¿Me oyes?

Exercise 4

1. B  Oigo
2. C  Oímos
3. A  No oigo nada.
4. B  Escuchar
5. B  Tú oyes música.

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FAQs

What does oír mean in Spanish?

Oír means “to hear.” It is used when talking about sounds, voices, music, and other things that someone hears.

Is oír regular or irregular?

Oír is an irregular Spanish verb. Its present tense forms include oigo, oyes, oye, oímos, oís, and oyen.

What is the yo form of oír?

The yo form is oigo, meaning “I hear.” For example, Yo oigo música means “I hear music.”

What is the tú form of oír?

The tú form is oyes, meaning “you hear” when speaking informally to one person. For example, ¿Oyes el ruido? means “Do you hear the noise?”

What is the nosotros form of oír?

The nosotros and nosotras form is oímos, meaning “we hear.” Remember the accent mark over the í.

How do you say “Do you hear me?” in Spanish?

You can say ¿Me oyes? when speaking informally to one person. In a formal situation, use ¿Me oye usted?

What is the difference between oír and escuchar?

Oír usually means “to hear,” while escuchar usually means “to listen” or pay attention. The best choice depends on the situation and the meaning you want to express.

What is the gerund of oír?

The gerund is oyendo, meaning “hearing” or “listening” in progressive constructions. For example, Estoy oyendo música means “I am hearing/listening to music.”

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Conclusion

The oír present tense is an important part of everyday Spanish because it helps you talk about sounds, conversations, music, and hearing ability.

Its six main forms are oigo, oyes, oye, oímos, oís, and oyen. Since oír is irregular, learning each form and practicing it in complete sentences is the easiest way to remember the conjugation.

Remember to use no before the verb in negative sentences, include the correct accent marks, and avoid adding English helping verbs to Spanish questions.

Also, learn the difference between oír and escuchar so you can express if you hear something or deliberately listen to it.

Practice with short sentences every day, such as Oigo música, No oigo nada, and ¿Me oyes? With regular practice, you will become more comfortable using oír in real Spanish conversations.