Breakdown of Я хочу услышать твой ответ.
я
I
твой
your [informal]
хотеть
to want
ответ
answer
услышать
to hear (perfective)
Questions & Answers about Я хочу услышать твой ответ.
Why do we use the perfective verb услышать instead of the imperfective слышать after хотеть?
When you want a specific, completed result, you use the perfective infinitive. You do not want the general ongoing ability to hear (слышать); you want to achieve the one-time result of receiving this specific answer. This matches the pattern you are learning: when focusing on a successfully completed action or achievement, the infinitive is perfective.
I sometimes mix up the verbs for sound. Could I use послушать here instead?
In Russian, the distinction is strict. Слушать / послушать means 'to listen' (an active, deliberate process, like listening to a podcast). Слышать / услышать means 'to hear' (the physical reception of sound). You want the result of their answer reaching your ears, so you need the 'to hear' verb: услышать.
Why doesn't the ending of твой ответ change if it is the direct object?
It actually is in the accusative case, which is required for direct objects! However, because ответ is a masculine inanimate noun, its accusative form is completely identical to its nominative (dictionary) form. The possessive pronoun твой follows the exact same rule, making the phrase look like nothing changed.
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