聞こえる
To be audible, To sound (like), (Can) hear, To be heard
Structure
［い］Adjective［く］+ 聞こえる
［な］Adjective + に + 聞こえる
Noun + に + 聞こえる
Explanation
The verb 聞こえる is used for any sound that reaches your ears, regardless of whether you are actively listening. It generally translates as 'to be audible', 'can be heard', or 'sounds (like)'. As an intransitive verb, 聞こえる conveys that a sound is naturally perceived without any deliberate action.
The source of a sound is marked by the particle が. To describe the way something sounds, you must use an adverb. This means an い-Adjective will change to its く form, while な-Adjectives and nouns will be followed by に.
- 鳥の鳴き声が聞こえる。I can hear a bird singing.
- 兄は怒ると声が怖く聞こえる。When my older brother gets angry, his voice sounds scary.
- あの人の日本語はとても自然に聞こえる。That person's Japanese sounds very natural.
- 嘘のように聞こえるかもしれないが、本当のことだ。It might sound like a lie, but it's the truth.
Fun Fact
The main distinction between 聞こえる and 聞ける (the potential form of 聞く) lies in intention. 聞こえる refers to sounds that reach the ear naturally, without any conscious effort from the listener. Conversely, 聞ける implies that the listener is actively trying to listen and focuses on their capability to perceive a particular sound.
- ここからだと滝の音が聞こえるよ。You can hear the sound of the waterfall from here. (No effort needed)
- このヘッドホンを使えば聞けるよ。If you use these headphones, you can hear it. (By taking an action to listen)
Examples
「さっき、変な音聞こえた？」
「いや、何も聞こえなかったけど。気のせいじゃない？」
'Did you hear a strange noise just now?'
'No, I didn't hear anything. Aren't you just imagining it?'
祖父は年をとって、右耳がよく聞こえないそうだ。
My grandfather is getting older, so apparently he can't hear well out of his right ear.
上の階の人の足音がうるさくて、夜中でも聞こえるんだ。
The person upstairs is so noisy, I can hear their footsteps even in the middle of the night.
「電話が遠いよ。声がほとんど聞こえない！」
'You sound so far away on the phone. I can barely hear you!'
「周りの人のおしゃべりで、映画のセリフがよく聞こえなかった。」
'Because the people around me were chatting, I couldn't hear the movie's dialogue very well.'
祭りの太鼓の音が、こんなに遠くまで聞こえますね。
We can hear the sound of the festival drums even from this far away, huh?
人間には聞こえない高い音も、犬には聞こえる。
Dogs can hear high-pitched sounds that humans cannot.
店員：「後ろの席のお客様、アナウンスはちゃんと聞こえますか？」
Staff: 'To our customers in the back seats, can you hear the announcement clearly?'
息子：「ただいまー」
母：「おかえり。あら、その声、風邪をひいたみたいに聞こえるけど、大丈夫？」
Son: 'I'm home!'
Mother: 'Welcome back. Oh, your voice... you sound like you've caught a cold. Are you okay?'
「このヘッドホンをすると周りの音が聞こえないけど、音楽だけはすごくクリアに聞こえるよ。」
'When I wear these headphones, I can't hear any outside noise, but the music sounds incredibly clear.'
先生は、一番後ろの席の生徒にも聞こえるように、大きな声で話した。
The teacher spoke in a loud voice so that even the students in the very back seats could hear.
「彼の言い方、私には皮肉(のよう)に聞こえたんだけど。」
'The way he said that sounded like sarcasm to me.'