ἀκούω: G0191
To hear, perceive sound; to listen to, heed, obey; passively, to be heard; to learn by hearing or receive a report.
Akouo is the primary Greek verb for auditory experience, appearing 430 times across the New Testament and covering the full spectrum from physical hearing to spiritual comprehension. Its range is wider than any single English word: when Jesus says 'he who has ears, let him hear' (Matt 13:9), akouo means not just sound reception but obedient understanding. Languages carve this spectrum revealingly — Swahili splits sikia ('perceive a sound') from sikiliza ('attend carefully'), Spanish distinguishes oir ('hear') from escuchar ('listen'), and Arabic separates sami'a ('heard') from istama'a ('listened attentively'). The New Testament exploits this breadth theologically, making hearing a metaphor for faith: to truly 'hear' the word is to receive it, understand it, and act on it.
1. hear, perceive sound — Basic auditory perception: to hear a sound, voice, word, or message with the physical ear. At 360 occurrences, this is the overwhelming default sense, covering everything from Herod hearing of Jesus' birth (Matt 2:3) to the crowds hearing his teaching (Matt 13:2) to the disciples hearing the voice from the cloud at the Transfiguration (Matt 17:5). All active indicative and most participial forms fall here. Korean deutda and Arabic sami'a both select their basic, unmarked hearing verbs, while German horen and French entendre serve as the general auditory terms. The participial aorist akousas ('having heard') functions almost as a narrative connective — 'when X heard this, X did Y' — across all four Gospels. 360×
AR["إِذْ-سَمِعا","إِذْ-سَمِعوا","إِذْ-سَمِعَ","سَمِعَ","سَمِعُوا","فَ-لَمَّا-سَمِعَ","لَمَّا-سَمِعُوا","وَ-لَمَّا-سَمِعَ"]·ben["শুনে"]·DE["hört"]·EN["Having-heard","having-heard","hearing"]·FR["entendre"]·heb["כְּשֶׁמְּעַ","כְּשֶׁשָּׁמְעוּ","כְּשֶׁשָׁמַע","כַּ-שָׁמַע","שָׁמְעוּ","שָׁמַע","שׁוֹמְעִים","שׁוֹמֵעַ"]·HI["सुनकर"]·ID["Mendengar","mendengar"]·IT["udire"]·jav["Mireng","mireng","mireng,","sasampunipun-mireng","sasampunipun-mireng,"]·KO["듣고"]·PT["Ouvindo","Tendo-ouvido","ouvindo","ouvindo,","tendo-ouvido"]·RU["Услышав","выслушав","услышав","услышав,","услышавшие"]·ES["Habiendo-oído","habiendo-oído","oyendo"]·SW["-","Akisikia","Aliposikia","akisikia","akisikia,","aliposikia","kwamba","lakini","lakini-akisikia","wakisikia","wakisikia,","walistaajabu"]·TR["Duyunca","dinleyip","duyunca","işitince","İşitince"]·urd["سن-کر","سُن-کر"]
Matt 2:3, Matt 2:9, Matt 2:22, Matt 4:12, Matt 8:10, Matt 9:12, Matt 11:2, Matt 12:24, Matt 14:13, Matt 14:13, Matt 15:12, Matt 17:6 (+38 more)
▼ 4 more senses below
Senses
2. heed, give ear, obey — To heed, give ear, obey — imperative and exhortatory uses calling for responsive hearing that leads to action. The paradigmatic example is the Synoptic/Revelation formula ho echon ota akoueto ('let him who has ears hear,' Matt 11:15; 13:9; Rev 2:7), where akouo means far more than sound perception — it demands spiritual reception and obedience. Found 42 times, primarily in Jesus' direct imperatives (akouete, 'hear!' Matt 15:10; Mark 4:3) and the Shema-like exhortation akouete autou ('listen to him!') at the Transfiguration (Matt 17:5). Arabic ista'mi'u (imperative of istama'a) and Korean deureura (command form) both shift into directed-attention vocabulary, confirming the semantic distinction from passive sound reception. 42×
AR["اسمَعوا","اسمَعُوا","اسْمَعُوا","اِسْمَعوا","اِسْمَعُوا","فَليَسمَع","فَلْيَسْمَعْ","لِيَسمَع","لِيَسمَعْ","لِيَسْمَعْ"]·ben["শুন","শুনুক","শোন","শোনুক","শোনো","সে-শুনুক"]·DE["hoeren","hört"]·EN["hear","let-hear","let-him-hear"]·FR["entendre","écouter"]·heb["יִשְׁמַע","יִשְׁמָע","שִׁמְעוּ"]·HI["के","वह-सुने","सुने","सुने।","सुनो"]·ID["biarlah-dia-mendengar","biarlah-ia-mendengar","biarlah-ia-mendengar.","biarlah-mendengar","dengarkanlah","hendaklah-dia-mendengar","hendaklah-ia-mendengar","hendaklah-mendengar"]·IT["udire"]·jav["mirengaken","mirengi","mirengna","mirengna.","mirengnana>."]·KO["들어라","들으라","들을지니라","들을지어다","모든-이-가"]·PT["ouvi","ouvi:","ouça"]·RU["да-слышит","да-слышит.","да-услышит","слушайте","услышьте","услышьте:"]·ES["oiga","oíd","oídle","oídlo"]·SW["Mtu","asikie","msikilizeni","na-asikie","na-asikie.","sikieni"]·TR["-o","dinleyin","dinleyin.","duyun","işitsin","işitsin."]·urd["سنو","سنے","سُنو","سُنے"]
Matt 11:15, Matt 13:9, Matt 13:18, Matt 13:43, Matt 15:10, Matt 17:5, Matt 21:33, Mark 4:3, Mark 4:9, Mark 4:23, Mark 7:14, Mark 7:16 (+30 more)
3. be heard — Passive voice: to be heard, referring to a sound, voice, prayer, or report coming to someone's ears without the hearer's active agency. Ten occurrences, including Rachel's weeping 'being heard' in Ramah (Matt 2:18), the report of Jesus 'being heard' in a house (Mark 2:1), and the theologically loaded 'your prayer has been heard' addressed to Zechariah (Luke 1:13) and Cornelius (Acts 10:31). The divine passive — where God is the implied agent who hears the prayer — is cross-linguistically marked: Arabic ustujiба ('was answered') and Swahili -sikika (passive of -sikia) both select specifically passive forms, while Korean deullyeotta uses a dedicated passivizer. 10×
AR["سَيُسْمَعُ","سُمِعَ","يُسمَع","يُسْمَعَ","يُسْمَعُ"]·ben["শোনা-গেছে","শোনা-গেল","শোনা-গেল,","শোনা-যাচ্ছে","শোনা-যাবে","শোনা-যায়","শোনা-হবে"]·DE["hoeren","hört"]·EN["is-heard","it-was-heard","was-heard","will-be-heard"]·FR["entendre","écouter"]·heb["יִשָּׁמַע","יִשָׁמֵעַ","נִשְׁמַע","נִשְׁמָעַת"]·HI["दिनों","सुना-गया","सुना-जाए","सुना-जाएगा","सुनाई-दी","सुनाई-देता-है","सुनी-गई","सुनी-जाएगी"]·ID["Terdengar","akan-terdengar","pernah-terdengar","terdengar","terdengar,"]·IT["udire"]·jav["Kapireng","badhé-kamirengaken","dipunmireng","dipunmirengaken,","kapireng","sampun-dipun-mireng,"]·KO["들렸다","들리리라","들리지","들린-적이-없다","들린다"]·PT["foi-ouvida","ouve-se","ouviu-se","se-ouviu","será-ouvida"]·RU["Услышано","будет-слышен","будет-услышано","был-слышен","слышано,","слышится","услышали","услышится"]·ES["Fue-oído","es-oído","fue-oída","se-ha-oído","se-oye","se-oyó","será-oída","será-oído","serán-oídas"]·SW["Ikasikiwa","ilisikika","ilisikiwa","inasikika","itasikika","itasikiwa","sikika","yatasikiwa"]·TR["duyulacak","duyuldu","duyulursa","duyuluyor","işitildi","işitilecek"]·urd["سنا-جائے-گا","سنا-گیا","سنی-گئی","سُنا-جائے","سُنائی-جائے-گی","سُنائی-دیتی-ہے","سُنی-گئی"]
4. listen to, attend to — To listen to, attend to — deliberate, focused listening or giving sustained attention to a speaker or message. Distinguished from sense 1 by intentionality: in Luke 2:46, the boy Jesus is 'listening to' the teachers in the temple; in Luke 10:39, Mary sits at Jesus' feet 'listening to' his word; in Luke 19:48, all the people 'hung on his words listening.' Only 10 occurrences, but the cross-linguistic evidence is sharp: Swahili sikiliza (intentional listening) versus sikia (hearing), Spanish escuchaba (was listening) versus oyo (heard), and Arabic istama'a (gave ear) versus sami'a (heard) all independently confirm the attentive-listening sense as distinct from bare perception. 10×
AR["أَنْ-نَسْمَعَ","تَسْمَعُ","سامِعينَ","سامِعًا","كانوا-يَسمَعونَ","كانَت-تَسمَعُ","وَكَانُوا-يَسْمَعُونَ","يَسْمَعوا","يَسْمَعُ"]·ben["তারা-শুনছিল","শুনছিল","শুনছিলেন","শুনতে","শুনতে-শুনতে","শোনা","শোনে"]·DE["hoeren","hört"]·EN["They-were-listening","hearing","listening","they-hear","to-hear","was-listening","was-listening-to","were-hearing"]·FR["entendre","écouter"]·heb["יִשְׁמְעוּ","לְבַרְנָבָא","לִשְׁמֹעַ","שָׁמְעָה","שָׁמְעוּ","שׁוֹמְעִים","שׁוֹמֵעַ"]·HI["निकलते-हुए","न्याय-करो","सुन-रही-थी","सुनती-थी","सुनती-रही","सुनते-थे","सुनते-हुए"]·ID["Mendengar","Mendengarkan","mendengarkan","mendengarkan,","mereka-mendengarkan"]·IT["udire"]·jav["Mirengaken","Nalika-mirengaken","Nalika-sami-mirengaken","midhangetaken","mirengaken","mirengaken,","mirengaken."]·KO["그들이-듣고-있었다","듣고-있는","듣고-있었다","듣고-있을-때","듣는-동안","듣으며","듣지-않으면","보다"]·PT["Ouvindo","ouvia;","ouviam","ouvindo","ouvir"]·RU["Слушали","Слушающего","Слушающим","послушают","слушала","слушало","слушать,","слушающего","слушая"]·ES["Lo-escuchaban","Oyendo","escuchaba","escuchaban","os-escuchen","oyendo","oyéndolos","oír"]·SW["Wakisikiliza","Walimskiliza","akiwasikiliza","alikuwa-akisikiliza","alimsikia","kuwasikiliza","wakimsikiliza","walisikiliza","wasiwasikilize"]·TR["Dinlerken","Dinliyorlardı","daha-çok","dinlerse","dinleyen","dinliyordu","dinliyorlardı"]·urd["سنتا-ہوا","سنتے-ہوئے","سننا","سنیں","سُنتی-تھی","سُنتے-تھے","وہ-سنتے-رہے"]
5. learn by hearing, receive report — To learn by hearing, receive a report or piece of information — the emphasis falling on cognitive acquisition rather than the auditory act itself. Found 8 times, often in perfect or resultative constructions that foreground the resulting state of 'having been informed': 'we have heard him say' (Acts 6:14), 'I have heard from many about this man' (Acts 9:13), 'the things which you have heard from me' (2 Tim 2:2). Arabic 'alima ('came to know') and Korean jeondallye-deutda ('heard via report') both shift toward information-reception vocabulary. Heb 2:1 warns against letting 'the things we have heard' slip away — where akouo designates received teaching rather than an auditory event. 8×
AR["سَمِعناها","سَمِعناهُ","سَمِعْتَ","سَمِعْتُ","سَمِعْنَا","سَمِعْنَاهُ"]·ben["আমরা-শুনেছি","শুনেছ","শুনেছি","শোনা-কথাগুলিতে"]·DE["hoeren","hört"]·EN["I-have-heard","having-been-heard","heard","we-have-heard"]·FR["entendre","écouter"]·heb["כִּי","נִשְׁמָעוֹת","שָׁמַעְנוּ","שָׁמַעְתִּי","שָׁמַעְתָּ"]·HI["सुना","सुना-है","सुनी-बातों-को","हमने-सुना","हमने-सुना-है"]·ID["Kami-telah-mendengar","aku-mendengar","kami-telah-dengar","kami-telah-dengar,","kami-telah-dengar;","kami-telah-mendengar","sudah-mendengar.","yang-didengar"]·IT["udire"]·jav["Mireng-kula-sedaya","kula-mireng","mireng-kula-sedaya","mireng.","sampun-dipunmirengaken","sampun-kawula-mirengaken"]·KO["네가-들은","들었다","들었습니다","들은-것에","우리-가-들었다"]·PT["coisas-ouvidas","ouvi","ouvimos"]·RU["слышал","слышали-мы","слышали-мы,","слышанному"]·ES["Hemos-oído","cosas-oídas","he-oído","hemos-oído","oído"]·SW["Tumemsikia","mambo-tuliyosikia","nimesikia","tumemsikia","tumesikia","uliyoyasikia"]·TR["duyduk","duydun","duyulanlara","işittik","işittim"]·urd["سنا-ہے","سنا-ہے،","سنا-ہے؛","سُنا-ہے","سُنی-ہوئی-باتوں","میں-نے-سنا"]
Related Senses
H7200 1. Qal: to see, perceive (1257×)G4771 2. you (singular address) (1077×)H8085 1. Qal: hear, perceive aurally (921×)H0859a 1. you (2nd person masculine singular pronoun) (743×)H0398 1. eat (consume food) (697×)H4191 1. die (Qal: natural/general death) (645×)G3708 1. see, perceive visually (419×)H???? 3. (352×)H1818 1. blood (physical substance) (327×)G3708 2. behold, look (exclamatory) (256×)H7272 1. foot (body part) (236×)H8354 1. drink, consume liquid (209×)H1320 1. body, physical being (207×)H3205 1. Qal active: bear/give birth (female subject) (204×)H3205 2. Qal active: beget/father (male subject) (198×)H2421 1. Qal: live, be alive (177×)H8085 2. Qal: listen, heed, pay attention (172×)G4561 1. flesh, physical body (150×)H2416a 1. alive, living (state/attribute) (146×)H2416e 1. life, lifespan, lifetime (145×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἀκούω: Epic dialect imperfect ᾰκουονRefs 8th c.BC+future ἀκούσομαι (active ἀκούσω first in NT+4th c.BC+aorist ἤκουσα, Epic dialect ᾰκουσαRefs 8th c.BC+perfect ἀκήκοα, Laconian dialect ἄκουκαRefs 1st c.AD+; ἤκουκα is a late form, Refs 2nd c.AD+; later Ionic dialect ἀκήκουκαRefs 3rd c.BC+: pluperfect ἀκηκόεινRefs 5th c.BC+; old Attic dialect ἠκηκόηRefs 5th c.BC+ —rare in middle, present (see. below…