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.
隣の部屋から音楽が聞こえる。
I can hear music from the next room.
電話の声がよく聞こえない。
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.'
彼の説明は言い訳に聞こえる。
His explanation sounds like an excuse.
その言い方は少し冷たく聞こえた。
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.
彼女は名の聞こえた研究者だ。
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.
古い文章では、「話が聞こえない」が「話が理解できない、納得できない」という意味で使われることがある。
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.