شنیدن shenidan: to Hear | Farsi Grammar

شنیدن shenidan means “hear”: sound reaches the perceiver, whether or not the person deliberately listens. Its past stem is شنید, while its present stem is شنو, pronounced shenav- before endings: می‌شنوم mi-shenavam. Singular بشنو beshno is current but often sounds elevated when it means “listen/hear me out.”

The contrast with گوش دادن به matters. صدای موسیقی را می‌شنوم means “I can hear the music”; به موسیقی گوش می‌دهم means “I am listening to the music.” English uses hear and listen similarly, but Persian additionally preserves a literary listening use of شنیدن.

Principal parts

Form	Persian	Reading	Use
infinitive	شنیدن	shenidan	dictionary form
past stem	شنید	shenid-	شنیدم، می‌شنیدم
present stem	شنو	shenav-	می‌شنوم، بشنود
past participle	شنیده	shenide	شنیده‌ام
imperative	بشنو؛ بشنوید	beshno; beshnavid	singular; plural/polite
negative imperative	نشنو؛ نشنوید	nashno; nashnavid	uncommon outside deliberate/literary contexts

As with present stem رو in می‌روم, written final و becomes part of a -av- sequence before endings. Do not form the present from past شنید. The negative command is grammatically regular, but speakers more often prohibit intentional listening with به این فایل گوش نده.

High-value paradigm

Person	Present indicative	Simple past	Present perfect	Present subjunctive
I	می‌شنوم	شنیدم	شنیده‌ام	بشنوم
you (sg.)	می‌شنوی	شنیدی	شنیده‌ای	بشنوی
he/she/it	می‌شنود	شنید	شنیده است	بشنود
we	می‌شنویم	شنیدیم	شنیده‌ایم	بشنویم
you (pl./polite)	می‌شنوید	شنیدید	شنیده‌اید	بشنوید
they	می‌شنوند	شنیدند	شنیده‌اند	بشنوند

Negation is نمی‌شنوم، نشنیدم، نشنیده‌ام، نشنوم. Present perfect شنیده‌ام frequently reports acquired information—“I have heard”—rather than a current auditory result.

از اتاق کناری صدای خنده می‌شنوم.

az otâq-e kenâri sedâ-ye khande mi-shenavam.

I can hear laughter from the next room. (neutral standard; current auditory perception)

این خبر را دیشب از یکی از همکارانم شنیدم.

in khabar râ dishab az yeki az hamkârân-am shenidam.

I heard this news last night from one of my colleagues. (neutral; specific message and source)

Sound, report, and source

The perceived sound or report is the object. A specific object normally takes را; a newly introduced sound may not. The informational source takes از.

ناگهان صدایی از پشت در شنیدیم.

nâgahân sedâ-yi az posht-e dar shenidim.

Suddenly we heard a sound from behind the door. (neutral; indefinite sound)

اسم این رستوران را از دوستم شنیده‌ام، اما هنوز نرفته‌ام.

esm-e in restorân râ az dust-am shenide-am, ammâ hanuz na-rafte-am.

I have heard the name of this restaurant from my friend, but I have not been there yet. (neutral; reported information)

In از کسی شنیدن, از marks where the information came from, not the person heard acoustically. صدای او را شنیدم means “I heard his/her voice”; این را از او شنیدم means “I heard this from him/her.”

Hearing an event: use a finite clause

When the object of perception is a whole proposition, شنیدن takes a finite clause, commonly with که. Persian does not use an English bare infinitive after the perception verb.

شنیدم که پرواز تبریز به‌دلیل مه لغو شده است.

shenidam ke parvâz-e tabriz be-dalil-e meh laghv shode ast.

I heard that the Tabriz flight has been canceled because of fog. (neutral reported content)

نیمه‌شب شنیدم کسی آرام به پنجره زد.

nime-shab shenidam kasi ârâm be panjare zad.

At midnight I heard someone tap softly on the window. (neutral narrative; finite clause without overt که)

The embedded tense expresses its own time and viewpoint. The larger system parallels Perception Verbs with Finite Complements.

💡

First decide whether you perceived a noun or learned a proposition. Use an object noun for a sound/message and a finite clause for an event or reported claim.

Hear versus listen

Neutral intentional listening uses به چیزی گوش دادن. Literary and elevated Persian can use سخن کسی را شنیدن or imperative بشنو with the stronger sense “listen to, heed, receive what is said.” Modern speakers recognize this usage, but in ordinary instructions گوش کن is less elevated.

لطفا به این فایل صوتی گوش بده و ایراد تلفظ را پیدا کن.

lotfan be in fâyl-e sowti gush bede va irâd-e talaffoz râ peydâ kon.

Please listen to this audio file and find the pronunciation error. (neutral instruction; intentional listening)

سخن هر دو طرف را بشنو، سپس داوری کن.

sokhan-e har do taraf râ beshno, sepas dâvari kon.

Hear both sides, then judge. (formal/literary maxim; بشنو means heed/listen)

Compounds and passive

Common combinations include خبر شنیدن “hear news,” چیزی به گوش کسی خوردن/رسیدن “something reach someone's ears,” and passive شنیده شدن “be heard.” شنیده‌ها as a noun means “things heard/reports” (formal).

صدای آژیر در تمام محله شنیده شد.

sedâ-ye âzhir dar tamâm-e mahalle shenide shod.

The siren was heard throughout the neighborhood. (formal-neutral passive)

Tehran speech

Everyday Tehran commonly has می‌شنوم، می‌شنوی، می‌شنوه، می‌شنویم، می‌شنوین، می‌شنون (informal: Tehran). The present stem remains recognizable, while third-person and plural endings reduce. شنیدی؟ also functions as “understood/hear me?” in conversation.

— صدامو می‌شنوی؟ — آره، ولی صدات هی قطع میشه.

— sedâ-mo mi-shenavi? — âre, vali sedât hey qat' mishe.

— Can you hear me? — Yeah, but your voice keeps cutting out. (informal: Tehran)

شنیدم می‌خواین اسباب‌کشی کنین؛ کمکی لازم دارین؟

shenidam mi-khâyn asbâb-keshi konin; komaki lâzem dârin?

I heard you're moving; do you need any help? (informal: Tehran)

Common Mistakes

1. Building a present form from شنید

❌ او صدای زنگ را می‌شنیدد.

Incorrect — present forms use شنو; شنید belongs to the past system.

✅ او صدای زنگ در را از اتاقش می‌شنود.

u sedâ-ye zang-e dar râ az otâq-ash mi-shenavad.

He or she can hear the doorbell from their room.

2. Using an infinitive for perceived action

❌ شنیدم کسی پله‌ها را بالارفتن.

Incorrect — the perceived action needs a finite verb.

✅ شنیدم کسی با عجله از پله‌ها بالا رفت.

shenidam kasi bâ ajale az pelle-hâ bâlâ raft.

I heard someone hurry up the stairs.

3. Blending شنیدن with گوش دادن

❌ من به پادکست گوش شنیدم.

Incorrect — intentional listening uses گوش دادن; شنیدن is a separate predicate.

✅ در راه خانه به قسمت تازه‌ی پادکست گوش دادم.

dar râh-e khâne be qesmat-e tâze-ye pâdkast gush dâdam.

On the way home I listened to the new podcast episode.

4. Doubling the imperative ending

❌ اول حرف من را بشنویدد.

Incorrect — polite/plural بشنوید already contains its ending.

✅ لطفا اول توضیح کامل مرا بشنوید.

lotfan avval towzih-e kâmel-e marâ beshnavid.

Please hear my full explanation first. (formal/elevated)

5. Separating the standard prefix

❌ صدای شما را خوب نمی شنوم.

Incorrect standard orthography — نمی‌ and شنوم require a ZWNJ.

✅ صدای شما را از این فاصله خوب نمی‌شنوم.

sedâ-ye shomâ râ az in fâsele khub nemi-shenavam.

I cannot hear you well from this distance.

Key Takeaways

Memorize شنیدن — شنید — شنو — شنیده, with shenav- before endings.
The sound or message is the object; an informational source takes از.
A perceived event or reported claim appears as a finite clause, often with که.
Neutral intentional listening uses گوش دادن به; بشنو as “heed/listen” is formal or literary.
Tehran می‌شنوه، می‌شنون is informal; standard prose uses می‌شنود، می‌شنوند.

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