What is the difference between "ouvir" and "escutar" in Brazilian Portuguese? Can someone please provide examples of how to properly use both versions of "to hear"?
Obrigado!
Listen = escutar
Ouvir is the ability of your ear to pick up the sound. Escutar is the ability to understand, you need to pay attention.
Ex.: When you are in a forest and hear screams you are "ouvindo", when you pay attention and can understand what he is screams, you are escutando.
You can use this for advice as well. When I tell my daughter, "you need to study today", but she decides to go to the beach and after she takes a bad test, she "ouviu" me but did not "escutou".
Just a note!
The meaning of the words does not depend on the country. When there are differences, they are much more regional as provinces or cities.
If you learn Portuguese starting making a great deal about the differences between Portuguese variations, you are not in the right way.
I was born in Oporto and people from Lisbon did not know many words I used: testo, festo, sertã, pinchar, tomba, etc. In Brazil the regional difference in relation to vocabulary is even bigger, bigger than the average between Portugal and Brazil. I live in Brasilia now and I lived in Londrina before, I can tell the difference...
However, the nuclear part is the same, everywhere and you should be worried about that first.
Ouvir: hear
Escutar: listen
'Escutar' is about listen carefully; paying attention.
