听音乐(tīng yīn yuè) - to listen to music in Mandarin

听音乐 (tīng yīn yuè) means to listen to music. 听 (tīng) is "to listen, to hear" and 音乐 (yīn yuè) is the noun "music".

As with other verb-object phrases, extra information can sit between the two halves: 听了很久的音乐 (tīng le hěn jiǔ de yīn yuè), "listened to music for a long time". 听音乐 (tīng yīn yuè) itself is the plain, everyday form.

It is one of the most frequently mentioned hobbies (爱好, ài hào) in spoken and written Mandarin, so learners meet it very early, often paired with 唱歌 (chàng gē, "to sing").