don't/can't

[GUEST2008]

Hi

I don't hear you/I can't hear you.

Are both OK? Is one better than the other?

[5jj]

'I can't hear you' is the natural, normal one.

[GUEST2008]

Isn't "I don't hear you" an AmE version?

[JohnParis]

Hi

I don't hear you/I can't hear you.

Are both OK? Is one better than the other? This is a good question, and I personally think that one is better than the other.

Guest2008: Fill in the blank with either can't or don't:

I ______ hear you because I'm deaf.

John

[GUEST2008]

I can't hear you beacuse I'm deaf (that's what I would say). Actually I was just curious whether both forms are correct.

[Barb_D]

It would require a specific set of circumstances for "I don't hear you" to work. As said above, "I can't hear you" is the normal form.

[GUEST2008]

It would require a specific set of circumstances for "I don't hear you" to work.

Can you imagine any such circumstances?

[JohnParis]

I can't hear you beacuse I'm deaf (that's what I would say). Actually I was just curious whether both forms are correct.

You're absolutely correct and for the reasons 5jj and Barb_D have given.

John

[5jj]

Can you imagine any such circumstances?

A: I was in the pub last night. It was full of Poles, Not an English person there. They should stay in their own country.
B: I don't hear you complaining about Poles when you need a plumber.

Since Poland became a member of the EU, Polish plumbers working in England have acquired a much better reputation for reliability than their British counterparts.

[GUEST2008]

A: I was in the pub last night. It was full of Poles, Not an English person there. They should stay in their own country.
B: I don't hear you complaining about Poles when you need a plumber.

Since Poland became a member of the EU, Polish plumbers working in England have acquired a much better reputation for reliability than their British counterparts.

Now it's perfectly clear. Thanks.