to listen; to hear (听力); to obey; to heed (言听计从); to let; to allow (听任); (measure) a tin (一听可乐)
听 is to listen — with your ears, or by obeying what you hear.
GF0025–2021 character list · 一级WHOLE GLYPH & STRUCTURE
ZDIC's 形声 header describes the older graph 听 (口+斤, a smiling face). The simplified form borrowed it for tīng, replacing the traditional 聽; the modern split is shown as pieces without a sound rule.
WHOLE CHARACTER
to listen; to hear (听力); to obey; to heed (言听计从); to let; to allow (听任); (measure) a tin (一听可乐)
听 is to listen — with your ears, or by obeying what you hear.
ZDIC's 形声 header describes the older graph 听 (口+斤, a smiling face). The simplified form borrowed it for tīng, replacing the traditional 聽; the modern split is shown as pieces without a sound rule.
LEFT PIECE (THE MOUTH RADICAL)
mouth; opening
Mouth/speech/opening clue; may also be a repeated visual element.
In 听: left piece (the mouth radical) Retained from the older graph; the traditional 聽 had an ear (耳) as its meaning side.
RIGHT PIECE (斤)
an axe; a weight unit
A standalone character and radical; ZDIC names it the meaning side of 新.
In 听: right piece (斤) The older graph's sound side for a different word; no pronunciation claim is made for modern tīng.
Checking for a Mandarin voice…