écouter
/e.ku.te/
Definition
To listen to someone or something, paying attention to what you hear.
Example
Elle écoute de la musique chaque matin.
Show translation
She listens to music every morning.
Etymology
From Old French *escouter*, from Vulgar Latin *ascultare*, an alteration of Classical Latin *auscultare* ("to listen attentively"). The same Latin root gives English the medical term *auscultation* (listening to internal body sounds with a stethoscope).
Cultural note
In French schools and family life, *écouter* carries a strong social expectation — children are routinely told *"Écoute!"* (Listen!) as a call to attention and respect. Note the false friend trap: English speakers sometimes confuse *écouter* (active, intentional listening) with *entendre* (to hear passively). In French, you *entendez* a noise but you *écoutez* a song or a person.