聞こえる
聞こえる · ichidan verb
| Form | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | 聞こえる | 聞こえない |
| Polite | 聞こえます | 聞こえません |
| Past polite | 聞こえました | 聞こえませんでした |
| Past | 聞こえた | 聞こえなかった |
| Te-form | 聞こえて | 聞こえないで |
| Desire | 聞こえたい | 聞こえたくない |
| Potential | 聞こえられるalso 聞こえれる | 聞こえられないalso 聞こえれない |
| Passive | 聞こえられる | 聞こえられない |
| Causative | 聞こえさせる | 聞こえさせない |
| Causative passive | 聞こえさせられる | 聞こえさせられない |
| Volitional | 聞こえよう | |
| Polite volitional | 聞こえましょう | |
| Imperative | 聞こえろ | 聞こえるな |
| Conditional | 聞こえれば | 聞こえなければ |
| Tara conditional | 聞こえたら | 聞こえなかったら |
Meanings
ichidan verb, intransitive verb
be heard; be audible; reach one's ears
Intransitive: the sound, voice, or information is what comes to the listener's ears. Often contrasts with transitive 聞く, which is the act of hearing, listening, or asking.
I can hear music from the next room.
I can't hear the voice on the phone well.
ichidan verb, intransitive verb
sound like; come across as
Used for how words, a voice, an explanation, or behavior sounds to someone: XがYに聞こえる, 'X sounds like Y.'
His explanation sounds like an excuse.
That way of saying it sounded a little cold.
ichidan verb, intransitive verb
be well known; be famous
Often appears in set or written-style expressions such as 名の聞こえた, meaning that a person or place is known by reputation.
She is a well-known researcher.
ichidan verb, intransitive verb
accept someone's words; agree; understand
Dated use meaning that someone's words make sense, are accepted, or are understood. In modern Japanese, this meaning is usually expressed more directly with 納得する, 理解する, or 聞き入れる.
In older writing, 話が聞こえない can be used to mean that one cannot understand or accept what is being said.
Usage patterns
- 〈物〉が聞こえるfor a sound or voice to be audible
I could hear the sound of a train from far away.
- 〈事〉に聞こえるto come across or sound like something
That way of speaking sounds sarcastic.
- 名の聞こえた〈人〉well-known, renowned (used before a noun)
He is a world-renowned painter.
Expressions
- 耳が聞こえないdeaf; cannot hear