noun
footsteps; sound of footsteps
Refers to the sound made by walking or running. Often used in expressions like 足音が聞こえる or 足音を立てる.
廊下から誰かの足音が聞こえた。
I heard someone's footsteps from the hallway.
彼は足音を立てないようにそっと歩
He walked quietly so as not to make any footsteps.
noun
approaching sign; harbinger
Figurative use: a sign or sense that something (often an event or change) is drawing near. Common in phrases like ～の足音が聞こえる.
春の足音が聞こえてきた。
I can sense spring approaching.
戦争の足音が近づいていると人々は感じていた。
People felt that the footsteps of war were drawing near.