Harken Meaning in English
word
ˈhɑɹkən
HAR-kuhn
hˈɑːkən
HAH-kuhn
Definition
An old-fashioned or literary way to say 'listen carefully' or 'pay attention.' Rare in modern conversation.
Usage & Nuances
Very formal, archaic, and mostly found in old texts, speeches, or poetry. Synonymous with 'hearken.' Rarely used in modern speech; commonly appears as 'harken back' (to refer to the past). Use 'listen' in daily conversation.
Spanish: escuchar atentamente - prestar atenciónPortuguese (BR): escutar atentamentePortuguese (PT): escutar atentamenteChinese (Simplified): 倾听（旧用语）Chinese (Traditional): 傾聽（舊用語）Hindi: ध्यान से सुनना (पुराना शब्द)Arabic: أصغِ بانتباه (قديم)Bengali: শোনো - মনোযোগ দাও (আর্চাইক)Russian: внемлить - прислушиваться (устар.)Japanese: 耳を傾ける（古風）Vietnamese: lắng nghe (ngôn ngữ cổ) - chú ý (xưa cũ)Korean: 귀 기울이다 (고어) - 경청하다 (옛 표현)Turkish: kulak vermek (eski dil) - dikkat kesilmek (edebi)Urdu: کان دھرنا (قدیم / ادبی)Indonesian: mendengarkan (gaya lama) - memperhatikan (kuno)
Example Sentences
Harken to the teacher's advice.
basic
The villagers harken to the old storyteller.
basic
Children, harken to this tale of courage.
basic
Few people today harken to old traditions.
natural
Let us harken back to simpler times.
natural
You rarely hear someone say 'harken' these days.
natural