Korean Job Discussion Forums

Kimchi Cowboy · Joined: 17 Sep 2006

My co-worker and I were having a pint after work, and we got to talking about music. The name of an album came up and I said, "Yeah, I've heard it, but I haven't really listened to it, y'know?" He kind of paused and gave me a quizzical look, and said, "Funny you should say it that way. I would've said, 'I've listened to it, but I've never really heard it.'"

Which of course led into a whole different debate on the use of listening vs. hearing.

Your thoughts, please.

dutchy pink · Joined: 06 Feb 2007 Location: Incheon

It really depends on the album.

yawarakaijin · Joined: 08 Aug 2006

I might still be in teaching mode but to me listening infers that I am actively listening to something, get me? While if you hear something its not like you had a plan to hear it. Ahhh, I think you know what i mean LOL.

A bomb suddenly goes off down the street. You heard it, you didn't listen to it.

You turn on your i pod and stick in your earphones. You are listening to music. I guess technically you are still hearing music as well. F#ck it Wink

RACETRAITOR · Joined: 24 Oct 2005 Location: Seoul, South Korea

They both make sense. Hear can mean the conventional way, as you hear all noises, or it could, as your friend intends, mean understand. Think of the phrase "I hear you."

Qinella · Joined: 25 Feb 2005 Location: the crib

Take a course in classical music where the tests consist of nothing but 15-second clips of various pieces and you have to identify the composer and the title of the piece. A torturous route to finding out what listening is compared to hearing.

Not sure what your friend is on about, though. How can you listen but not hear?

RACETRAITOR · Joined: 24 Oct 2005 Location: Seoul, South Korea

JustJohn · Joined: 18 Oct 2007 Location: Your computer screen

Heard but not listened. Proper use according to their definitions.

Dome Vans · Guest

yawarakaijin is right.

jinju · Joined: 22 Jan 2006

White men cant jump "you can listen to jimi but you cant HEAR Jimi"

Czarjorge · Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2007 11:45 pm Post subject:

lis�ten /ˈlɪsən/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[lis-uhn] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
�verb (used without object) 1. to give attention with the ear; attend closely for the purpose of hearing; give ear.
2. to pay attention; heed; obey (often fol. by to): Children don't always listen to their parents.
3. to wait attentively for a sound (usually fol. by for): to listen for sounds of their return.
4. Informal. to convey a particular impression to the hearer; sound: The new recording doesn't listen as well as the old one.

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hear (h�r) Pronunciation Key
v. heard (h�rd), hear�ing, hears

v. tr.

To perceive (sound) by the ear: Can you hear the signal?
To learn by hearing; be told by others: I heard she got married.

To listen to attentively: Hear what I have to tell you.
To listen to in an official, professional, or formal capacity: heard the last witness in the afternoon.
To listen to and consider favorably: Lord, hear my prayer!
To attend or participate in: hear Mass.

v. intr.

To be capable of perceiving sound.
To receive news or information; learn: I heard about your accident.
To consider, permit, or consent to something. Used only in the negative: I won't hear of your going!

Czarjorge · Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2007 11:47 pm Post subject:

Seemingly, they mean the same thing. To my ear "listen" has always indicated that information was being attentively processed, and "hear" indicated the act of hearing but not necessarily the act of processing what was heard.

I HEARD what you said, but I wasn't LISTENING to it.

You can hear someone talking, be aware of the fact they are speaking, but still not be listening to what they said.

HapKi · Joined: 10 Dec 2004 Location: TALL BUILDING-SEOUL

I would agree with the above poster, or maybe totally disagree, I can't really tell.

For example, one might say, "LISTEN. Did you HEAR that?"

As in, cognitively start paying attention with your ears, and tell me if you pick that up aurally.

Czarjorge · Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2007 2:27 am Post subject:

Excellent rephrasing, Hapki.

Listening implies cognition and recognition, hearing is an autonomic function of the hairs in your ear.

SPINOZA · Joined: 10 Jun 2005 Location: $eoul

Like "see" vs "watch". And then "watch" vs "look at".

see: simple perception
watch: see + concentrate
look at: see, watch and concentrate solely on something

A person who watches a soccer game on TV (a) watches (concentrates on) the soccer game, (b) looks at his TV, (c) sees everything his eye is able to see, including things he's not looking at.

Hear/listen:

"Woah! Did you hear that?"
"No, I wasn't listening, sorry. What was it?"

There are exceptions as always ("I heard a rumor", "I saw Terminator III"), but the basic distinction between 'hear/listen' is concentration, as is 'see/watch'. Perhaps though, the distinction between 'listen/hear' is more strict. There's no real difference between 'to see a movie' and 'to watch a movie' yet a strict difference between 'to hear music' and 'to listen to music'. And there's a very strict distinction between 'see/watch a movie' and 'look at a movie'.

Jesus, this stuff hurts my brain. I quit.

yawarakaijin · Joined: 08 Aug 2006

I guess we must also be aware of the idomatic usages of the words. Hearing in some cases means ''understanding" or "comprehending"

Example: "I really don't think you hear what I am saying."

Of couse the person hears you, he isnt deaf ( i hope ) but he might not be understanding the point you are trying to make.