Sign inSign up

Oigo el timbre y abro la puerta.

Oigo el timbre y abro la puerta.
I hear the doorbell and open the door.
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Spanish grammar and vocabulary.

Start learning Spanish now

Questions & Answers about Oigo el timbre y abro la puerta.

Why use oigo and not escucho?
  • Oír = to perceive sound (whether you want to or not). Natural here: you perceive the bell.
  • Escuchar = to listen (on purpose). You’d use it when you’re paying attention, e.g., Escucho música.
  • You might hear Escucho el timbre if someone is intentionally listening for it, but Oigo el timbre is the default.
Why isn’t there an a before el timbre?
Spanish uses the personal a mainly with people (and some animals) as direct objects: Oigo a mi madre. Inanimate things don’t take it: Oigo el timbre, not oigo al timbre.
Do I need to say yo?
No. Spanish usually drops subject pronouns because the verb ending shows the subject. Oigo and abro already mean “I hear” and “I open.” Add yo only for emphasis or contrast.
Why the definite articles el and la? Could I say Oigo timbre or Abro puerta?
Spanish normally uses articles with singular countable nouns. You’re referring to the specific bell and door, so el timbre, la puerta. Saying Oigo timbre or Abro puerta is ungrammatical in this context. Use un/una only if the reference is non‑specific: Oigo un timbre (some bell).
Is oír irregular? How do I conjugate it in the present?

Yes. Present indicative:

  • yo oigo
  • tú oyes
  • él/ella/usted oye
  • nosotros oímos
  • ustedes/ellos oyen
  • In voseo areas: vos oís By contrast, abrir is regular: yo abro, tú abres, él abre, nosotros abrimos, ustedes/ellos abren; vos abrís.
How do you pronounce oigo, and what’s with the accent in oír?
  • oigo has two syllables: OI-go. The g is soft between vowels. No written accent.
  • The infinitive oír needs the accent to mark stress and separate the vowels: o-ÍR.
  • Other forms with a written accent include oí, oíste, oímos (preterite).
  • timbre stresses the first syllable: TIM-bre; puerta: PUER-ta.
When do I change y to e?
Change y to e before words that start with the “i” sound (i-/hi-): padres e hijos, agua e hielo. Here, the next word is abro (starts with “a”), so y stays.
Can I replace the nouns with object pronouns?

Yes:

  • Lo oigo y la abro. = I hear it (the doorbell) and open it (the door).
  • Positioning: pronouns go before a conjugated verb (Lo oigo) or attached to an infinitive/gerund (Al oírlo, la abro).
If I’m opening the door for someone, how do I say that?

Use an indirect object for the person:

  • Le abro la puerta a Juan. With both pronouns:
  • Se la abro (a Juan). Remember Spanish changes le/la to se la (not le la).
How would I say it in the past?
  • Preterite (single completed event): Oí el timbre y abrí la puerta.
  • Very common: make the bell the subject of sonar: Sonó el timbre y abrí la puerta.
  • Habitual in the past (imperfect): Cuando oía el timbre, abría la puerta.
Is abrir ever reflexive here?

Not when you actively open it: Abro la puerta. Reflexive/impersonal is used when the door opens on its own or in passive-like statements:

  • La puerta se abre. (The door opens/gets opened.)
  • Se abrió la puerta. (The door opened.)
Is there a more idiomatic way to say “Upon hearing the doorbell, I open the door”?

Yes:

  • Al oír el timbre, abro la puerta.
  • Cuando suena el timbre, abro la puerta.
  • En cuanto/Apenas oigo el timbre, abro la puerta.
What’s the difference between oír el timbre, tocar el timbre, and sonar el timbre?
  • oír el timbre: you perceive the bell.
  • tocar el timbre: someone rings it (literally “to ring/push the doorbell”).
  • sonar el timbre: the bell rings (the bell is the subject).
Any regional terms besides timbre?
Timbre is widely understood in Latin America. For intercoms, you may hear portero (eléctrico), citófono (Andes), or telefonillo (more Spain). Context tells you whether it’s a bell or an intercom.
Common mistakes to avoid with this sentence?
  • Spelling oír without the accent or writing oygo instead of oigo.
  • Using a with inanimate objects: not oigo al timbre, but oigo el timbre.
  • Using le for a direct object in Latin America: say Lo oigo (not Le oigo) for el timbre.
  • Saying Escucho el timbre by default (sounds off unless you mean you’re actively listening for it).
How would this change with vos (voseo) in some Latin American countries?

The idea is the same; only the second-person forms change. If addressing vos:

  • Cuando vos oís el timbre, abrís la puerta. Your original sentence with yo stays Oigo el timbre y abro la puerta.