Я слышу шаги в коридоре.

I

Breakdown of Я слышу шаги в коридоре.

• в: in
• коридор: the corridor
• слышать: to hear

Questions & Answers about Я слышу шаги в коридоре.

Why is я included? Doesn’t слышу already mean I hear?

Yes. Слышу already tells you the subject is I, because it is the 1st person singular form of слышать.

So Russian can say either:

• Слышу шаги в коридоре.
• Я слышу шаги в коридоре.

Including я is normal and often sounds a little more explicit or neutral. Leaving it out is also natural, especially when the subject is already clear from context.

Why is it слышу and not слушаю?

Russian distinguishes between hearing and listening:

• слышать / слышу = to hear
• слушать / слушаю = to listen

So:

• Я слышу шаги = I hear footsteps
• Я слушаю музыку = I am listening to music

In this sentence, the person is perceiving a sound, not actively trying to listen, so слышу is the correct verb.

What form of the verb is слышу?