倾听
qīngtīng · HSK 7
listen attentively to
👂 倾 lean + 听 listen = lean in to listen carefully
倾 means to tip or lean toward something, and 听 means to listen; together they mean leaning in so you catch every word — listening attentively.
听 — mouth 口 + axe 斤 (simplified from 聽)
The traditional form 聽 combined 耳 (ear) with 王, 十, 目, and 心, depicting attentive listening with ear, eyes, and heart. The modern simplified 听 uses 口 (mouth) plus the phonetic 斤 (jīn), a much later shorthand. Despite the 'mouth' component, the meaning 'to listen, hear' was inherited from 聽.