hear the music

Meaning

This phrase means to perceive sounds of music with your ears. It is a neutral, everyday expression used when music is playing nearby, whether you are actively listening to it or just noticing it in the background.

Examples

• Can you hear the music playing next door?

  Can you hear the music playing next door?

• I love to sit on the balcony and hear the music from the park.

  I love to sit on the balcony and hear the music from the park.

• Turn up the volume; I can't hear the music very well.

  Turn up the volume; I can't hear the music very well.

• As soon as I walked into the cafe, I could hear the music.

  As soon as I walked into the cafe, I could hear the music.

• Do you hear the music coming from the street?

  Do you hear the music coming from the street?

Common Mistakes

• ✗ I like to hear the music on my phone.

  ✓ I like to listen to music on my phone.

  Use "listen to" when you actively pay attention to music. Use "hear" for passive perception of sound.

• ✗ I can hear music sounds from the room.

  ✓ I can hear the music from the room.

  "Music" already refers to the sound. Saying "music sounds" is redundant.

Related Expressions

Practice

• Please be quiet, I want to ___.

  💡 Perceive the playing songs.

  Show answer

  hear the music

• If you open the window, you can ___ from the festival.

  💡 Detect the musical sounds.

  Show answer

  hear the music