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To be present in a class and listen to the teacher's lecture.
老师讲的内容很重要，请大家仔细听课。
The teacher's content is important; please listen carefully to the lecture.
他每天都认真听课，学习成绩进步很快。
He attends class attentively every day, and his grades have improved quickly.
Used in educational contexts to describe students actively participating in class.
'听课' emphasizes the act of listening and paying attention, while '上课' simply means 'to attend class' without specifying active participation. For example, '他上课迟到了' (He arrived late for class) does not imply he was listening.
In formal education settings, '听课' implies engagement. In informal contexts, it may just mean being physically present without active listening.
The phrase combines '听' (tīng, to listen) and '课' (kè, class/lesson), reflecting the act of listening to a lecture in a classroom setting. The term has been used in Chinese educational contexts for centuries.
Commonly used in schools and universities to emphasize active participation in learning. Not typically used for online classes unless specified as '网课' (online class).