Let’s learn the difference between verbs in pairs: 

• смотреть (to watch, to look) – видеть (to see) 
• слушать (to listen) – слышать (to hear)

1. Смотреть vs. видеть 

• Смотреть (to watch, to look) implies a deliberate action of focusing your eyes on something.
• Видеть (to see) describes a physical ability or passive action when something enters your field of vision without effort.

For example: 

1. Я смотрю фильм.
I’m watching a movie.

2. Я смотрю в окно.
I’m looking out the window.

3. Я вижу дом.
I see a house.

4. Бабушка плохо видит. Ей нужны очки.
Grandmother can’t see well. She needs glasses.

2. Слушать vs. слышать  

• Слушать (to listen) implies an active effort or intent to focus on the sound
• Слышать (to hear) describes a physical ability or a passive action when sound reaches your ears without effort

For example:

1. Я слушаю музыку.
I’m listening to music.

2. Я слышу музыку.
I hear music. (The music is playing, and I can hear it.)

3. Мой дедушка очень старый. Он плохо видит и слышит.
My grandfather is very old. He can’t see and hear well.

3. Past tense 

In the Past tense, ‘видеть’ (to see) and ‘слышать’ (to hear) can also be used to communicate the very fact that a person has experienced something.

For example: 

1. Ты видел этот сериал?
Have you seen this TV show?

2. Я никогда не слышал эту песню.
I’ve never heard this song before.

Here, ‘видеть фильм’ and ‘слышать песню’ don't mean passive perception. Instead, they imply whether or not you have had the experience of watching the movie or listening to the song at least once. 

Both new verbs belong to the second-conjugation group. Here are their present tense forms: 

Listen to the audio to hear the correct answers

Listen to the audio to hear the correct answers

'Видеть' and 'слышать' in digital communication

Video calls and other digital communication make frequent use of the verbs 'видеть' and 'слышать'. We use ‘видеть’ to confirm whether the video is working, and ‘слышать’ – to check if the audio is clear.

Вы меня видите?
Can you see me?

Вы меня слышите?
Can you hear me?

These verbs help us describe technical issues, like when the connection is poor:

Я вас не вижу.
I can’t see you.

Я вас плохо слышу.
I can’t hear you well.

Watch the video and pay attention to how the speakers use the verbs 'видеть' and 'слышать'.

Vocabulary for the video:

• А так? - Like this? 
• теперь - now
• снова - again
• Всё! - That’s it!
• нет связи - no connection
• Не судьба! Может, в следующий раз! - It wasn’t meant to be! Maybe next time!