escuchar vs oír
Escuchar is listening (active). Oír is hearing (passive — sound entering your ears whether you want it or not).
escuchar
To listen — you're paying attention, you chose to engage with the sound.
Escucha, que es importante.
Listen, this is important.
Command to pay attention. Active, intentional.
Me encanta escuchar música por las mañanas.
I love listening to music in the mornings.
Deliberate, enjoyable listening.
No me estás escuchando.
You're not listening to me.
The complaint isn't about hearing — it's about attention and engagement.
oír
To hear — the sound reaches your ears, with or without your intention.
¿Oyes eso? ¿Qué es ese ruido?
Do you hear that? What's that noise?
Something that just entered your auditory field — you didn't seek it out.
Se oían voces desde la calle.
Voices could be heard from the street.
Passive hearing — sounds coming in from outside. Se oír is very natural for this.
Oye, ¿me puedes ayudar?
Hey, can you help me?
'Oye' as a conversational opener = 'hey' or 'listen.' One of the most common words in spoken Spanish.
Tricky bit
'Oye' (from oír) is used constantly as a filler — 'Oye, ¿qué haces este finde?' It doesn't literally mean 'hear.' But escucha as a conversation opener sounds more formal and urgent.