"Oni słyszą dzieci."
Translation:They hear the children.
11 CommentsThis discussion is locked.
2728
Yes, you can. It sounds a little odd, i can't quite explain why, but there are contexts where it would sound right. Same with seeing. Hearing and seeing are more passive, like a state you are in, compared to listening or watching, which are actions.
1877
Tj1983, you're right that that the verbs 'hear' and 'see,' like 'perceive' or 'know' are more like a mental state, they don't indicate a process. You either see / hear / perceive / know something or you don't, though to indicate coming to that state you could preface them with 'begin to,' or 'get to' for 'know,' as in the song, 'Getting to know you.' This is why it seems odd. Such verbs are not usually put into a progressive (UK /continuous) tense (be doing, etc.), although McD grabs our attention by deliberately using it: I'm loving it -- perhaps to change English forever. :-)