to listen to / to sound
Loading your saved state.
to listen to
To listen attentively to someone or something, often in order to form an opinion or show understanding.
Ich musste mir seine ganze lange Geschichte über den Urlaub anhören.
I had to listen to his whole long story about the vacation.
'Anhören' (to listen to / to hear) is a separable verb. The prefix 'an' comes at the end in a main clause. In subordinate clauses or in the infinitive with 'zu', the verb is not separated.
Hör dir dieses Lied an!
Listen to this song!
The meaning of 'anhören' (to listen to / to hear) changes depending on whether it is used reflexively or not. 'Sich etwas anhören' means to listen to something, while 'jemanden anhören' means to give someone a hearing.
Ich höre mir gerne Podcasts an.
I like listening to podcasts.
When you listen to something using 'sich etwas anhören', the person who is listening is in the dative (as a reflexive pronoun), and the thing being listened to is in the accusative. The pattern is: sich (dative) etwas (accusative) anhören.
Kannst du dir bitte kurz mein Problem anhören?
Can you please listen to my problem briefly?
In the meaning of 'klingen' (to sound), 'sich anhören' (to sound) is often used with an adjective or a comparison with 'wie' (like/as). The subject is the thing that produces the sound.
Das hört sich kompliziert an.
That sounds complicated.
The non-reflexive form 'jemanden anhören' (to hear someone) is mainly used in formal, official, or legal contexts. It means to officially give someone the opportunity to speak.
Das Gericht muss vor dem Urteil den Angeklagten anhören.
The court must hear the defendant before the verdict.
to hear / to listen
'hören' and 'anhören' can both mean taking in music, a voice, or an explanation with your ears. 'hören' is more general: you can hear something by chance or deliberately listen to music. 'sich etwas anhören' puts more emphasis on listening attentively, often until the end or in order to form an opinion. Learners may confuse the words because both can fit with music, news, or explanations. 'hören' is more neutral; 'sich anhören' sounds more targeted and often a bit more active.
Nach dem Gespräch hat sich Frau Hofmann die Nachricht noch einmal angehört.
After the conversation, Ms. Hofmann listened to the message again.
Er hört in der Pause leise Musik auf dem Handy.
He listens to quiet music on his phone during the break.